Trudeau, premiers to meet in Ottawa to discuss health-care deal

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invited Canada’s premiers to meet with him in Ottawa next month to discuss health care.

In the third and final day of a cabinet retreat in Hamilton, Trudeau said the meeting between the premiers will happen on Feb. 7.

The focus of the discussion will be negotiating a new deal for health-care funding.

Ongoing talks regarding new health-care funding have been the main vocal point throughout the retreat.

The COVID-19 pandemic and a shortage of health-care workers has strained the system in Canada.

I’ll be in Ottawa on Feb 7 to sit down with my fellow premiers and Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau.

We have a lot to discuss, including making sure the federal government properly funds the health care people rely on. When Team Canada works together, there’s nothing we can’t do.

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) January 25, 2023

The premiers are asking for Ottawa to raise its share of health-care funds to 35 per cent from around 22 per cent presently.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Trudeau have not publicly announced how much the federal government is willing to contribute to the health-care budget.

However, the provinces would be required to show how any additional money will be used to develop patient care.

Ottawa transferred $45.2 billion to provinces for health care in the current fiscal year.

READ MORE: Trudeau in Hamilton for 3-day cabinet meeting retreat

Despite the announcement on health, the cabinet was in town to discuss the economy, which experts told them yesterday is expected to slowdown this year as Hamiltonians continue to struggle with inflation, high rent, and record food prices.

Trudeau says his government will create more better-paying jobs and help Canadians with support directly. No announcements were made.