Health-care care package: Maritime provinces still digesting details of Ottawa's funding announcement
The number-crunching continues a day after the premiers sat-down with the prime minister to talk about health-care funding.
The package offered Tuesday was big, however, not as big as provincial leaders were hoping, and debate is already heating-up about how to spend it.
Primary care providers in Nova Scotia are already weighing-in on how to spend the extra cash, with Doctors Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union individually arguing the money should be spent on more doctors and nurses.
The Nova Scotia Health Coalition agrees staffing of primary care providers ought to be paramount, but says another factor should also be considered.
"So much of the backlog in hospitals are people waiting to get into long-term care, so those are our two main issues," said Alexandra Rose, the group's spokesperson.
If the premiers were hoping a united front would be enough to force Ottawa to throw open the purse strings, it didn't happen.
The ten-year, $196 billion plan includes less than $50 billion in new funding, but $2 billion gets divided right away.
As well, the feds have pledged a five per cent increase to health transfers for the next five years.
The premiers seemed decidedly underwhelmed, but the immediate cash is hard to walk away from.
"Would we have wanted more? Of course we wanted more," said Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. "I'll always push for more for Nova Scotians, just as my colleagues will for their constituents."
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs seemed hopeful there might be some room for negotiation in side-deals the feds plan to cut with provinces.
"It is what is,"said Higgs. "So we need to regroup and think about, 'OK. Is there more here in this regard?' Maybe."
Heading into the meeting there was much discussion around whether strings would be attached to the federal money, but political scientist Lori Turnbull says that was to be expected.
"I think they're saying, 'We're going to give you more money, and we're going to put conditions on it because we want to see action on these things and we don't have the jurisdictional authority to do those things ourselves,'" said Turnbull.
Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King seemed to be thinking beyond the cash itself.
"It isn't just money that we need," King told reporters.
"We need innovations, we need a change in how we deliver health care. We need to innovate the health-care system in many, many regards."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL has suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
New charges for Ont. woman who previously admitted to defrauding doulas
The Brantford, Ont. woman who was previously sentenced to house arrest after admitting to deceiving doulas has been charged again in connection to a new victim.