Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe tweeted federal healthcare transfers are on the top of the agenda for Friday's Western Canadian premiers conference in Regina..Since Saskatchewan is hosting the meeting, Moe will chair the meeting and his spokesperson said “Canada Health Transfer (CHT) funding negotiations and next steps” are the biggest part of the discussions..All Canadian premiers took part in a virtual meeting in February 2022 and all provinces are looking for additional healthcare funding and stability, including an increase in the CHT from 22% to 35%..The 35% CHT increase equates to about $28 billion per year in additional healthcare funding..In February 2022, British Columbia Premier John Horgan called for additional funding as the provinces know the challenges within the healthcare system better than the federal government..“Provinces and territories are at the front lines of health care, and premiers understand the challenges facing our systems, including shortages of healthcare professionals, surgical backlogs, wait times, and hospitals that are at capacity,” said Horgan..“A new vision for health care, supported by a significant, long-term increase in federal funding, is needed to ensure we emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic and ready to respond to the needs of our citizens.”.In April 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said additional funding does not automatically lead to better healthcare..“We’ve seen in the past just more money into health care, even from the federal governments, doesn’t necessarily lead to the right outcomes or better outcomes for Canadians,” said Trudeau..Other issues to be discussed at the meeting include the economy, supply chains, labour market, trade, infrastructure, energy, and sustainable development..The provinces and territories taking part in the meeting are British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut..Last year, this conference met virtually.
