Finance Ministers Meet in Halifax

Nova Scotians are counting on the federal government to keep its word on investing more in health care, Finance Minister Peter Christie said today, Jan. 21, after a meeting with federal Finance Minister Ralph Goodale in Halifax.

"Nova Scotia is the first province in Canada to guarantee new, increased dollars to our hospitals with multi-year funding," said Mr. Christie. "Our patients and health-care workers need Ottawa to make that same level of commitment to health care."

Last year, the federal government committed an additional $2 billion for health care, which still falls short of the funding recommended in the federal government's Romanow report.

Mr. Christie also highlighted the need for an enhanced equalization program to help protect priority services like health and education. "Nova Scotians deserve the same level of services as other Canadians and the way to ensure that happens is to restore fairness to the equalization program."

Mr. Christie also urged Ottawa to pass regulations granting Nova Scotia Crown share payments from the offshore. He said that, under the 1986 Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Accord and the 1988 Canada Act, Nova Scotia is entitled to these payments.