A Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) media release states, “In a stark example of policy choices that do not benefit Ontarians, recently the federal Conservatives said they could spend in excess of $100 billion on two warships and will again cut corporate taxes, while standing firm on removing $8.2 billion in health care funding for Ontarians by 2023.”
Their statement explains, “The Harper Conservative government has announced it does not intend to renew the Health Accord, a 2004 agreement with the provinces on health care funding. It intends to force through a unilateral plan for health care that will mean $36 billion less for medicare by 2027-28 across Canada. For Ontario that means an $8.2 billion cut to health funding over the next decade.”
They add, “This is not the first time the Harper government has chosen spending on the military over investments in public health care. Earlier this year the Conservatives announced the purchase of fighter jets at an estimated cost of over $30 billion.”
And notably, “The $8.2 billion cut to the federal health transfer was also roundly criticized by the Ontario Liberal government in its fall economic update. As the federal cuts compound every year, the losses will increase every year after 2023-24. The ‘cumulative impact would be equivalent to reducing federal funding of health care by an estimated $550 for every Ontarian by 2023’, according to the Ontario Liberals.”
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