Health Care

Precisely two years ago, a newly-elected Liberal minority government was approaching its first fall session. Health care was again a central campaign issue and after a summer of anticipation the Prime Minister hosted a crucial first ministers' summit on the subject. 

Provincial officials and prime-time pundits expected an incredibly difficult set of negotiations. Skeptics at the time included the then Leader of the Opposition Stephen Harper who bluntly said, “Everything I've witnessed about this health conference so far is designed to fail.”

The 10-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care

But contrary to expectations, the September 2004 conference delivered a federal-provincial agreement signed by all 14 first ministers. The accord fully met the financial recommendations of the Romanow Commission on the Future of Health Care by delivering $41 billion to the provinces.

The agreement was widely endorsed. When it came to a vote on the floor of the House of Commons as Bill C-39, all parties supported increasing the Canada Health Transfer to provinces each year from 2004 to 2014. It also established a Wait Times Reduction Transfer trust for the provinces and provided funding to provinces for diagnostic and medical equipment.

Effects of the 10 Year, $41 Billion Accord in Ottawa South

The new funding bolstered provincial plans for health care improvements right here at home. Ottawa area hospitals received $25.6 million in new base funding for 2005-06. In two years, 116 new nurses were hired in Ottawa. The Ottawa Heart Institute got a new cardiac catheterization machine and CHEO got a replacement MRI machine. More doctors are being trained, with medical school enrollment is increasing 15% by 2008.

In total, from 2004-06 in Ottawa alone, new funding has meant 1,500 more cardiac procedures, 717 additional cancer treatment spots, 742 more hip and knee operations, 800 more cataract operations, over 10,000 more MRI exams. But there is more to do.

Looking for Leadership on Health Care

I am concerned that in the seven months since being elected, Health Minister Tony Clement has been silent on future action to improve health care in Canada. Wait times are still too high. We don’t have the best possible health service for Canadians.

But Mr. Clement has no legislation before the House of Commons. He introduced only one bill so far as Minister, C-5 – a Liberal bill from 2005 to set up the Public Health Agency of Canada – and it has already passed the House.

He has begged off negotiations with the provinces over the Conservative campaign promise to “ensure patient wait-time reduction targets for priority procedures identified by the provinces are established by the end of 2006.” (Last fall, our government kept its 2004 promise and made an impressive step forward by getting provinces to agree on reported benchmarks for wait-times.)

There is no doubt that health care remains a challenging portfolio. But I will be looking for the government to speak – in both word and action – to the expectations it has created for real progress this fall.