For
Immediate Release
July 30, 2004
Liberal health
tax expected to grow
Simcoe – Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant
MPP Toby Barrett is reiterating his opposition to the Liberal health premium
in the wake of suggestions that the tax will be forced to rapidly increase
if it is to keep up with health care costs.
Barrett commented
following a Fraser institute report that indicates Ontario’s new
health premium must triple by 2008 and grow by 10 times over the next
decade, to keep up with the current rate of increase in provincial health
care spending.
“My office is
already being flooded with calls from angry constituents who can’t
afford the current health tax,” said Barrett. “If the Liberals
continue down this road and increase premiums to match rising health costs,
they’ll be driving families to the poor-house.”
A news release accompanying
the Fraser report, Paying More, Getting Less: Ontario's Health Premium
and Sustainable Health Care, states that, “The government's policy
seems to rely on the new premium as the sole means to fund future health
care spending increases, as the Ontario budget signals no plans for either
new taxes or increases to existing taxes after 2005. Therefore, taxpayers
must soon pay much higher premiums if revenues are going to match the
expected growth in public healthcare spending and this is occurring at
the same time as more services are being de-listed from Medicare coverage.”
The report was released
earlier this week and coincides with the Premiers Conference on Health
Care in advance of their meeting with the Prime Minister.
Barrett maintains
that as long as the Federal government continues to bilk the provinces
out of their fair share of Medicare funding – originally a 50/50
partnership – health care in Canada will continue to suffer.
“For years Ottawa
has short-changed Canadians by providing less than 15 cents of every health
care dollar,” Barrett pointed out. “Until they can meet that
original commitment and put their money where their mouth is, they should
keep that mouth sealed.”
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For more information please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: 519-428-0446
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