Ottawa Refuses to Make Long-Term Commitment to Health Care
PREMIER'S OFFICE--Ottawa Refuses to Make Long-Term Commitment to Health Care
The Nova Scotia government will continue to work hard to improve health care, despite the new prime minister's refusal to make a long-term pledge to health care.
Premier John Hamm said he is disappointed that Prime Minister Paul Martin has done nothing but fulfill a one-time funding promise made by former prime minister Jean Chretien.
"The federal government has said no to patients, no to doctors, nurses and health-care workers," said the premier. "Nova Scotians and all Canadians are counting on Ottawa to fully commit to working together to improve health care."
Nova Scotia believes Ottawa must adopt the health-care funding formula recommended by federal royal commissioner Roy Romanow. While the Romanow report recommended a 25 per cent federal share, Ottawa will continue to contribute only 16 per cent of health -care funding.
"Nova Scotia has a plan to improve health care and we're backing it up with record investments in health care," said the premier. "Nova Scotians need to ask the federal government: after a decade of federal cuts, after the Romanow report, why won't Ottawa do what Nova Scotia does and deliver the funding that's needed to reduce wait times and put more doctors, nurses and other health-care workers on the front lines?"
Last year, Nova Scotia became the first province in Canada to guarantee funding over the next three years to the province's hospitals, despite the fact that since 1993, the federal government has cut more than a billion dollars from health and social transfers from Nova Scotia alone.
"Money isn't the only solution, but we can't make positive changes for health care without Ottawa working with Nova Scotia as a real partner," added the premier.
Premier Hamm is also concerned that the federal government not allow any further changes to equalization that will cut funding to public services in Nova Scotia, offsetting any new federal money.
"It is imperative that the federal government ensure that our province's health and social programs aren't jeopardized by more changes to equalization," said the premier.
Since 1999, Premier Hamm has stood up for Nova Scotians concerned with the lack of federal support for Nova Scotia.