Mr.Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to elaborate further on a question I posed in the House on Monday, February 2, regarding the status of the Canada health transfer and the cutbacks in that area to a number of provinces.
We all know that the Canada health transfer is the glue that keeps our national health care system together. It binds us together in terms of ensuring that every province has the money that is required to ensure that non-profit, public administration of health care in this country continues.
For many years it has been a political football. Under the Liberals back in 1995, the famous Paul Martin budget took a huge bite out of health transfers. In fact, in one fell swoop we lost $6 billion for health, education and other social programs, representing the biggest bite out of our health and social programs in this country in the history of medicare, and we are still recovering from that phase.
In 2004 the provinces finally convinced the federal Liberal government of the time to put back some of the money, and we ended up with the 2004 accord, which announced $41 billion over 10 years following 2004. That is the formula in place today.
It came as a big surprise to us when the budget was announced on January 27. Lo and behold, the money the provinces expected for the Canada health transfer fell short, to the tune of $106 million for British Columbia, $83 million for Quebec, $78 million for Newfoundland and Labrador, $38 million for Alberta and $13 million in my own province of Manitoba.
That amount of money creates huge problems for a health care system that is struggling to keep up with demands and needs. As I said back then, it creates more lineups for surgery, more hallway medicine and more doctor and nurse shortages.
The minister at the time simply said there was nothing to fear, that we should not worry, that the budget was fine, that no promises were being broken, that the government was not cutting back and that in fact it was putting all this money into health transfers, so we should just sit down and be quiet.
That was not the case. That is not what actually happened. The minister and the government played games with the commitment made to the provinces over equalization and health transfers. The Conservatives took from one pot and put into another. They advanced their formula to move toward a per capita funding system, taking money out of provinces like Manitoba.
It was not until a huge uproar occurred and we raised the question in the House that finally the government acknowledged that it had made a mistake. Shortly after the budget, those affected provinces received communication that the money would be restored, that the money they had assumed would be there for health care would be put back and that this would exist for two years.
That is great. I am glad the government listened. I am glad we made a difference, but the fact of the matter is that it has only delayed the problem for another two years, and the government is bent on putting in place a new formula that actually still shortchanges the provinces and breaks an agreement made between the present Prime Minister and the provinces for a reasonable, systematic formula and process for equalization and Canada health transfers.
The provinces are outraged that the Conservatives have broken their word and that they are arbitrarily changing matters. They would like some answers from the government so that they can be sure that they can plan for the future in an area as fundamental as health care.