May 28, 2004

Health Minister Dave Chomiak and Finance Minister Greg Selinger will meet with provincial and territorial health and finance ministers from across the country in Toronto this weekend to work on a framework for sustaining the nation’s medical system.

"Canadians across the country cherish the public health care system and are looking to all governments to make the necessary changes to sustain it into the future," Chomiak said. "This weekend’s meeting will help set the stage for the meeting of the premiers and the prime minister this summer on the issue that is number one on the list of public policy priorities.

"Manitoba is already engaged in ambitious health care reforms including significant investments in implementing one of the best home care systems in the country, delivering one of Canada’s most comprehensive Pharmacare programs and purchasing additional medical equipment to address the need for diagnostic imaging."

Co-chaired by the premiers of Ontario and British Columbia, the two-day Forum on Health Care Sustainability and Reform will focus on challenges all governments across the country face to fund a public health system that provides access to care when it is needed.

This working meeting of health and finance ministers will be an important step in preparations for the July 28 to 30 meeting of the Council of the Federation and the First Ministers’ Meeting on Health slated for later this summer.

"Health care received the highest percentage increase of any area of our budget this year and we remain committed to making health care a funding priority," said Selinger. "We need greater participation from the federal government to ensure there is a modern sustainable health care system."

The minister added he has seen encouraging signs from all major federal political parties that there is recognition the federal government must take a greater role in funding medicare.

"All provincial finance ministers are dealing with the same challenges as they strive to balance their budgets, fund health care and other vital government services, and make their provinces affordable places to live. All governments need to work to share ideas, information and practices to ensure we can achieve these objectives now and in the future."

A sustainable, adequate and long-term funding partnership between Ottawa and the provinces is essential in order to continue providing the quality health care services Canadians need, the ministers said. Premiers have recommended that the federal government increase its overall share of funding for health, social services and post-secondary education to 25 per cent to provide for the costs of core services.

"It is also crucial that Ottawa make progress on the continued fiscal imbalance between Ottawa and the provinces and territories, and implement needed improvements to the equalization program," added Selinger.

This forum results from a commitment by premiers and the prime minister at the January 2004 First Ministers’ Meeting in Ottawa and is a direct outcome of the February 2004 meeting of the Council of the Federation in Vancouver.

At that meeting, premiers reiterated their commitment to publicly funded health care and to implementing reform initiatives to ensure that provincial and territorial systems are more efficient and can provide quality care in a timely matter.

Premiers agreed that, on behalf of the Council of the Federation, premiers McGuinty and Campbell would direct provincial and territorial health and finance ministers to identify opportunities and challenges relating to health care reform and sustainability.

Premiers McGuinty and Campbell will report on the work of provincial and territorial health and finance ministers to all premiers at the Council of the Federation’s July meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

- 30 -