Trudeau says provinces need to ‘step up’ as health funding talks begin – National | 24CA News

As federal officers start negotiations with the provinces on Ottawa’s multi-billion well being funding supply, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says it’s time provinces and territories “step up” and use extra of their very own surplus price range {dollars} to assist health-care staff.

During a question-and-answer session with a category of nursing college students in Ottawa Friday, Trudeau was peppered with queries about why nurses and different well being staff will not be provided greater wages, free tuition and different helps, given they’ve been working beneath excessive situations during the last two years of the pandemic and are actually coping with the pressure of nationwide staffing shortages.

7:58Trudeau pronounces well being plan value $196B with $46B in new spending: ‘Let’s get this carried out’

Trudeau instructed them the federal authorities took on the lion’s share of the monetary prices and debt of the COVID-19 pandemic so provinces didn’t must.

That’s why it’s now time for provinces and territories to begin placing extra of their very own cash into measures that assist nurses and different health-care employees, Trudeau stated.

“The provinces are largely in surplus situations. They can now lean in on improving the conditions of learning, the conditions of work, the conditions of pay that they control for nurses and for health-care professionals,” he stated.

He famous that earlier this week, Ottawa put ahead a $196-billion, 10-year funding package deal for well being look after the provinces — of which $46 billion is new — and a few of this cash will go towards supporting, retaining and recruiting well being staff.

But salaries for well being staff, tuition charges and dealing situations for these workers are provincially managed and controlled, and Ottawa can’t inform the provinces what to do, Trudeau stated.

However, federal officers might be utilizing the negotiations with provinces and territories on the well being funding deal to attempt to push them to make use of a few of this new cash and extra of their very own funds towards serving to make the lives of well being staff simpler, he stated.

One of the nursing college students who questioned Trudeau Friday instructed him she is at present working in three hospitals whereas additionally doing an unpaid placement for her diploma and has been pressured to depend on her bank card to pay for groceries.

She stated she typically survives on cookies provided at work as a result of she will be able to’t afford lunch.

Trudeau shook his head in dismay, acknowledging the excessive value of dwelling for Canadians.

“We’re going through a really difficult time right now, not just as a country, as a world. And we’re going to have to do a better job of being there for each other to support each other through these times,” he stated.

1:31Nursing Shortage

“And that’s why as a (federal) government, we’re going to continue to step up — but why also we’re going to be pushing on provinces and municipalities to do their part as well, to be investing in affordable housing, to be investing in, and to be negotiating in good faith at the bargaining table with front-line workers to make sure that you can actually start and support a family on the salaries you’re making.”

It’s not the primary time Trudeau has instructed provinces aren’t utilizing sufficient of their very own funds to handle the numerous pressures dealing with Canada’s well being system.

In November 2022, the prime minister questioned why provinces are demanding more cash from Ottawa in well being transfers whereas they concurrently “turn around and give tax breaks to the wealthiest.”

That identical day in November, talks between federal, provincial and territorial well being ministers broke down after the premiers expressed disappointment Ottawa wasn’t coming to the desk with the funding dedication they wished.

They’ve been calling on the federal authorities to extend the Canada Health Transfer in order that its share of health-care prices rises from 22 per cent to 35 per cent.

The premiers didn’t instantly reply to Trudeau’s shot throughout the bow about tax breaks, however they did argue they’ve been working onerous to enhance well being providers for Canadians “under heavy strain through the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Substantive resources are required to support and accelerate this essential work, and provinces and territories need a predictable federal funding partner,” the premiers stated in an announcement issued Nov. 8, 2022.

Speaking to the nursing college students Friday, Trudeau stated well being staff ought to be acknowledged for his or her onerous work and given extra respect for selecting to proceed to work amid attempting situations and an exodus of latest and veteran nurses alike.

But he additionally stated issues about wage caps, excessive tuition prices and different measures which can be managed by provincial governments ought to be stored in thoughts throughout voting time, noting that the majority provinces are actually run by conservative events, and that conservative governments “tend to lean a little less towards a universal public system (and) tend to look at a little more at privatization.”

Pointing to his personal 2021 marketing campaign promise to lift wages for private assist staff (PSWs) to a minimum of $25 per hour, he admitted that hasn’t but materialized.

But there’s a measure within the new well being funding deal that would offer $1.7 billion over 5 years to assist wage will increase for PSWs, Trudeau stated.

“We did step up on PSWs, but we’re not done yet. They’re not yet making the $25 an hour that we committed to,” he stated.

3:26Freeland offers detailed define of funding in proposed health-care plan

“But the provinces have to step up on part of that as well, not all of them are doing it. But there is no reason for people who are working three jobs, like you, to not be able to pay for your groceries.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland stated Friday she is inspired by preliminary talks that started this week with Ontario on the well being accords, which have been described as “good.”

She stated Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc will now be travelling to every province and territory to kick-start these talks with all provincial leaders on the funding deal.

Fixing Canada’s ailing well being system is the aim, Freeland stated, noting that this may contain important investments from each the federal and provincial governments.

“I think what Canadians really care about, though, from the health-care discussions is people just want better health care,” she stated.

“People want to be able to call up a family doctor, have a family doctor and see their family doctor when they need to. People want to be able to get surgery when they need it. And so, I really do think that we need to focus on, and what we are focusing on, is working collaboratively to get those good outcomes.”