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
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.