WINNIPEG — The province has launched an ad campaign criticizing the federal government’s healthcare funding plan on the same day Justin Trudeau is visiting Winnipeg.
The #sharethehealthcanada campaign outlines the province’s case against Ottawa limiting health care funding increases with a website as well as social media posts and infographics.
READ MORE: Justin Trudeau set to meet with Winnipeg students, hold public forum
The Liberals are offering an annual three per cent increase or a three-year-average of economic growth, whichever is higher. However, transfers have risen at six per cent annually over the last ten years.
Still, Trudeau said his government’s offer is fair, “We’ve put a tremendous amount of money on the table for the provinces for health care, we have seven premiers who have signed on,” said the Prime Minister in Winnipeg.
“It’s up to the provinces to decide if they want that money or not,” he said.
Manitoba Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen, along with health ministers from other provinces, have said evidence shows health care costs will rise by 5.2 per cent each year in the future.
“Federal funding is essential if we are to address the increasing costs associated with the healthcare needs of our growing and aging population,” wrote Goertzen in a media release.
The current plan from Trudeau’s government would reduce health care funding to Manitoba by more than $1 billion over the next ten years, according to Goertzen.
RELATED: Provinces unimpressed by Trudeau government over health care funding
Several territiories, maritimes provinces and Saskatcehwan have signed bilateral health care funding deals with the federal government, some for an annual increase of around 3.5 per cent.
However, provinces representing around 90 per cent of Canada’s population, including Manitoba, have refused to sign a similar deal.
Comments