The Canadian Press reports, “The Health Council of Canada will no longer receive money from the federal government to keep tabs on an expiring health-care deal between Ottawa and the provinces. The independent body is responsible for monitoring implementation of the 10-year, $41-billion health accord struck in 2004. But the council said it has been told there will no longer be a need for its work once that accord expires next year.”
“The left-leaning Council of Canadians called the funding decision ’scandalous’. ‘The Council of Canadians views this as an intentional and very serious attack on the public health-care system in Canada and a clear indication that the federal government is not interested in the health of Canadians,’ Adrienne Silnicki, the group’s health-care spokeswoman, said in a statement.”
iPolitics adds, “(Some have) surmised the council is being punished for its hard hitting reports. ‘We’ve seen from this government over and over again that when you have evidence and you show it, when you show the federal government in a negative light, you get cut,’ said Adrienne Silnicki, health care campaigner for the advocacy group, the Council of Canadians.”
The Canadian Press notes, “Chief executive John Abbott said Health Canada told him last week that funding would continue through this fiscal year, but come to an end after that. …The decision to cut off funding caught the council by surprise, Abbott said. …Abbott said he sees a role for the council after the current accord expires. For instance, he noted, there will still be a need to hold governments accountable for health-care delivery and spending. ‘Most of our reports were written so that the Canadian public could certainly have a better understanding of the issues at play and that they can use those reports to help hold governments accountable at the provincial and national level.’”
The article also notes, “Last year, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty abruptly unveiled a take-it-or-leave-it plan to pay for health care from 2014 to 2024. The plan sees the federal government committing to a six per cent annual increase in funding for each of the first three years. After that, annual increases will be a minimum of three per cent — or more, if the economy is strong.” The article doesn’t note though that this imposed funding formula will cut billions from the public health care system. In January 2012, Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page said he expects that the Harper government’s new funding formula will cost the provinces about $31 billion over the life of the 2014 Canada Health Accord. In July 2012 the provincial premiers forecast the cut would be closer to $36 billion.
For more, please see:
Feds cut funding to body that monitors intergovernmental health accord
Council of Canadians health care campaign web-page
It’s National Health Care Lobby Week (in Riding Offices)
