Premiers to Meet in Toronto

Canada's provincial and territorial leaders will meet on Jan. 23 in Toronto to discuss health-care issues prior to their meeting with the prime minister.

Nova Scotia Health Minister Jane Purves, who will represent the province while Premier John Hamm recovers from recent surgery, said it's important for governments to agree on a common approach to take to the federal government.

"By working together, we can press Ottawa to do the right thing and put real dollars into the No. 1 priority of Nova Scotians and all Canadians -- health care," said Ms. Purves. "Now that Romanow and Kirby have released their reports on reforming health care, it's essential for the federal government to support all provinces and territories as we work towards improving health care for all Canadians, regardless of where they live."

The new health minister said she will also use the opportunity to highlight Nova Scotia's many successes. In October, Premier Hamm announced that Nova Scotia will become the first province in Canada to provide increased, multi-year funding for the province's nine district health authorities and the IWK Health Centre for Women, Children and Families.

"Nova Scotia is leading the way in providing stable, secure funding over the next several years to put more doctors and nurses on the front lines and reduce wait times," said Ms. Purves. "We're also making innovative changes to improve care, such as hiring nurse practitioners for rural communities. And we will become the first province in Canada to have a provincewide information management system that will give doctors and nurses more time to spend with patients and less time doing paper work."

Prince Edward Island Premier Pat Binns will chair the meeting in Premier Hamm's absence. According to protocol, the premier scheduled to host the next annual premiers' conference becomes the acting chair in the absence of the current chair.

Specific times and location for the Jan. 23rd meeting will be announced at a later date.