Mr. Speaker, the minister has quoted from the accord adopted in September 2000 between the Prime Minister and the premiers of Canada. I would like to quote from a statement made by those same premiers in August 2001 and ask for her interpretation of this statement. Part of the statement reads:
At a September 2000 meeting of First Ministers, the Prime Minister made an offer toprovinces and territories that included partial restoration of the Canada Health andSocial Transfer (CHST). While this September 2000 federal announcement was generallywelcomed as a first step and provided some short-term relief from the pressures facingprovincial and territorial governments, the measures taken fell considerably short of thePremiers’ position.
The premiers went on to indicate that the current share of federal funding was 14% and set to decline and that it would be a minimal position for them to have the federal government start at 18%.
Does the minister accept the premier's interpretation? Are they right in terms of their assessment of federal funding? Does she acknowledge the difficulties posed for provincial governments in trying to keep pace with the demands on their health care systems? Does she acknowledge and is she considering their request for transitional funds to help meet the needs between now and the time that the Romanow commission reports in November 2002?