Premier Caroline Cochrane and members of Cabinet met yesterday with federal Ministers to discuss increases to federal healthcare funding.
In the meeting, attendees discussed Canada’s health care funding proposal accepted by Canada’s Premiers on February 13.
In addition to increases in the Canada Health Transfer and bilateral funding agreements, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) will continue negotiations with Canada on the Territorial Health Innovation Fund (THIF).
Premier Cochrane, Minister Julie Green and Minister Wawzonek addressed concerns regarding some components of Canada’s proposal, including the limited ability to address priorities with $7 million per year for ten years in bilateral funding.
“Ten years is not going to be enough, all premiers are worried about what we’re calling a ‘fiscal cliff,’ the bilaterals for Ten years are going to ideally start more programming and more services to the public, but what happens after that ten years?” Premier Cochrane tells My True North Now.
“If we dont get more additional commitment for longer term funding, then we are worried about the fiscal cliff and the reality is that once you start a program, it’s really hard to take that away, and its not fair to residents to take that away.”
The NWT spent almost four times more per person on healthcare than other jurisdictions in years past and Cochrane adds that her government believes the federal government is taking a step in the right direction but still does not see a path to eliminate the gap between health services in the south and the high costs of the north.
“The Northwest Territories trails behind Canadian provinces on social and health indicators while we service a population that experiences significantly higher levels of systemic disadvantage across a complex geography and without economies of scale.” Minister of Finance Caroline Wawzonek said in a press conference.
The GNWT says they are committed to advocating for the Northwest Territories to the federal government as negotiations continue.
