Without federal health dollars, the prognosis isn’t good

As I chat on people’s doorsteps this winter, the conversation often turns to health care and what is needed to improve it.  Oft-mentioned is the need for more doctors, more nurses and more money.

People continue to tell me if you’re going to spend my tax money on anything – spend it on health care.  And that’s exactly what we’ve been doing – to the tune of an extra $6 billion a year.

Ontario’s health budget has now climbed to a whopping $23.7 billion a year – far above the $17.4 billion a year that we promised to spend on health every year when we were elected in 1995.  $23.7 billion for health eats up 37 per cent of Ontario’s annual budget.

A serious problem is the federal government is not paying its fair share and, in fact, federal Liberals have cut health spending since 1995.  Federal transfers to the provinces for health and social services this year will be $400 million lower than in 1994.

When medicare was introduced, Ottawa and the provinces agreed to share health-care costs on a 50-50 basis, but over the years the federal government dropped their 50 per cent support for health care to 14 per cent – leaving the provinces to now foot 86 per cent of the cost.

Regrettably, the recent federal budget put no new dollars into health care – despite massive new increases in spending.

As Premier Harris stated at that time, federal Liberals have shortchanged our health care system and are “the single greatest threat to universal medicare in this country today. When the bill arrives, Ottawa excuses itself from the table to go to the washroom, leaving the provinces to pick up the tab,” Harris said.

You deserve the best healthcare system your money can buy.  Unfortunately, you won’t get the best until the federal government starts pulling its weight.

Unless Ottawa pays its fair share for health care, the prognosis isn’t good.  Plainly put, if our healthcare system is to meet the demands of a population that’s growing and aging – and if it is to offer us the life-saving advances we deserve – the federal government must start paying its fair share.  If it doesn’t, the provinces will have difficult choices to make.

With its huge budget surplus, Ottawa can afford to do the right thing.  It’s only fair that the federal government spend some of its $17 billion surplus on safeguarding your health.  After all, it’s your money (and overpayment of taxes) that created the surplus.

The federal government must make health care funding their number one priority.  A recent Ipsos-Reid poll said 82 per cent of people wish to see increased federal health spending.  With all of the money that taxpayers pay to all orders of government, there should be enough resources to ensure a level of health care service that meets Canadians needs regardless of where they live.  Canada’s Premiers are committed to ensuring that this happens.

Every province and territory is committed to the principles of medicare. And every Canadian must be able to access this vital public service, regardless of income and of where they live in Canada.  But it will not be possible for provinces and territories to fund the ongoing and significant increases in health care costs while the federal government’s share of health spending continues to decline.