Mr. Speaker, next week the premiers and the Prime Minister will sit down to hammer out an accord on health care. This meeting will be critical to the future of Canadians' most cherished social program.
One would expect that Ottawa would be waiting to hear from the provinces, which actually run the health care system, before it deals with the provinces' top priorities. However, that is not the case.
Instead, the Prime Minister has leaked his own draft accord, trying to call the shots with a fraction of the money. Canada needs improved outcomes for its health care system, not sleight of hand.
Since the former finance minister cut billions of dollars out of health care, provinces have been reinvesting and reinvigorating our health care system while Ottawa's contribution has only continued to diminish. Now that Ottawa is ready to inject additional dollars, it should be working with and not dictating to the provinces. Unfortunately, the federal government seems unwilling--