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OTTAWA – Opposition MPs grilled Liberal cupboard ministers Tuesday, attempting to find out when billions in promised health-care spending will begin flowing to provinces and territories.

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Throughout the 2021 marketing campaign, the Liberals promised funding for the hiring of seven,500 household medical doctors and a Canada Psychological Well being Switch price $4.5 billion. Extra just lately, the federal government has mentioned it’s ready to extend health-care transfers to the provinces, offered they comply with a number of key situations.

Well being Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Psychological Well being Minister Carolyn Bennett each appeared earlier than the Home of Commons well being committee on Tuesday.

Conservative MP Stephen Ellis, a former doctor, mentioned he needs to know when Canadians will see the medical doctors and nurses the federal government has promised to work of their communities.

“I am in search of a solution on behalf of all Canadians, and maybe most particularly on behalf of the 100,000 Nova Scotians with out entry to main care,” he mentioned.

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Duclos did not reply the query straight, however mentioned the federal government has supported the provinces on hiring, citing an extra $2 billion offered to assist clear backlogs, and different inflationary will increase within the Canada Well being Switch.

“That each one supported the efforts of provinces and territories to rent, recruit and retain extra of our health-care employees,” he mentioned.

The federal authorities has been locked in negotiations with the provinces over a possible improve within the Canada Well being Switch, the federal authorities sends cash to each province on a per-capita foundation. Ottawa presently sends simply over $45 billion to the province every year, with that determine rising by at the very least three per cent every year. The provinces need the Liberals to ramp up that switch significantly, sending $28 billion extra per yr for well being care.

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In conferences earlier this month, Duclos made it clear the federal government is prepared to carry extra money to the desk, however provided that the provinces agreed to work on a workforce technique and a unified method to health-care knowledge that might permit for issues like digital medical data.

Duclos was requested Tuesday by NDP Well being Critic Don Davies if he put a particular quantity on the desk together with his provincial counterparts, however he did not reveal one.

The provinces cost that the federal authorities solely offers 22 per cent of the health-care {dollars} within the system, whereas Duclos mentioned for those who embody tax factors the federal authorities transferred to the provinces it’s a lot larger.

“The full assist from the federal authorities into well being care is about 35 per cent. It went up throughout COVID-19 and is now again round 35 per cent,” he mentioned.

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Duclos mentioned that quantity is a “futile debate,” nevertheless as a result of the federal authorities is prepared to do extra, if provinces are prepared to just accept some primary strings on the money. He mentioned he believed they had been closing a deal earlier this month, however the premiers had been solely excited by speaking about cash.

“Everybody was on the identical web page. Sadly, the premiers requested my colleagues, fellow Well being Ministers, to cease talking about outcomes and outcomes that matter to Canadians and solely talk about {dollars}.”

Conservative MP Laila Goodridge requested Bennett in regards to the promised Canadian Psychological Well being Switch, which the Liberals promised they’d create throughout the 2021 marketing campaign. The switch was meant to enhance current well being transfers, however was targeted on supporting psychological well being.

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Goodridge mentioned lack of psychological well being helps is main some folks to the emergency room to hunt care.

“We’re really seeing a disaster proper now in our emergency rooms. The time to behave was six months in the past or six years in the past,” she mentioned. “It is important we get this executed now.”

Bennett pointed to cash beforehand introduced in 2017, which she mentioned is making a distinction, whereas the federal government goals to barter with the provinces over the brand new proposed funding.

“$600 million a yr goes now yearly and we’re working with the provinces and territories on the design of a brand new program,” she mentioned.

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