Premier Attends Council of Atlantic Premiers

Energy, transportation and health care will be among the items Premier John Hamm will raise at this week's meeting of Atlantic Premiers. The Fourth session of the Council of Atlantic Premiers will be held Thursday in Charlottetown.

"Over the past year, Nova Scotia has been working with other provinces to determine the best approach to maximizing the economic and social benefits of the energy industry," said the premier, who will lead the discussion on energy at the meeting. "By developing a common Atlantic position in advance of next month's meeting of Canada's premiers, we can ensure a strong regional voice at the table."

Premier Hamm will also reiterate his long-standing position regarding the lack of federal funding for health care and other social programs.

"As a result of federal funding cuts since 1993, medicare in this country is moving towards a system where smaller provinces cannot provide levels of services or wage packages equitable with larger provinces," added the premier. "Without a long-term plan and adequate funding from Ottawa, we will continue to drift towards multi-tier health care, in which the quality of care is based on where one lives, not on the care one needs."

Since 1993, the federal government has cut over $1 billion in cash transfers to Nova Scotia for health, post-secondary education and social services. Even with new federal funding announced at last year's First Ministers' Meeting in Ottawa, Nova Scotia will still receive $106 million less in federal funding during the current fiscal year than it did in 1993-94. Moreover, the federal government's change to per-capita funding under the Canada Health and Social Transfer means the financial gap between richer and poorer provinces will continue to grow.

"Last year, I warned that Ottawa's quick fix would do little to address the long-term challenges with our health care system in Nova Scotia," concluded the premier. "Until the federal government decides to live up to its health care responsibilities in a meaningful manner, provinces like Nova Scotia will continue to struggle to meet the health demands of today and tomorrow."