LILLEY: Scheer's Conservatives promise more health funding
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Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer used a downtown Toronto hospital as a backdrop to pledge that he will continue to increase funding to the provinces for health and social services if elected prime minister.
Speaking at Mount Sinai Hospital, Scheer said he learned the value of the health system from his late mother who was a nurse.
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“Healthcare is a concern that we hear, our candidates hear, that I hear on the road in every province in this country,” Scheer said.
“Under a new Conservative government, Canadians will be able to count on stable and predictable health and social program funding.”
The Conservatives are promising to increase health and social transfers to the provinces and territories by at least 3% per year.
Scheer’s move to pledge that he would increase funding was an attempt to blunt any future claims by the Liberals that a Conservative government would slash health funding.
“We know that Justin Trudeau in a desperate attempt to distract from his scandals and corruption is going to be making things up,” Scheer said.
Moments after Scheer’s announcement a letter was issued by Trudeau’s finance minister Bill Morneau claiming that Scheer’s plan would actually be a cut.
“By committing to ‘at least 3%’ instead of the existing formula, you are trying to mislead Canadians as you propose cuts to public health care,” Morneau said.
Morneau points out that the health transfers are expected to rise by 4.1% by 2021-22. According to Morneau that would amount to a $1.5 billion cut.
The Conservatives were quick to point out their commitment of at least a 3% increase is the current health accord and anything above 3% is determined by a formula.
“Right on cue, Liberals are lying about my commitment,” Scheer tweeted to Morneau. “‘At least 3%’ means we will maintain the current funding formula. How’s that balanced budget coming?”
When news of Scheer’s plan first broke Morneau had tweeted that Scheer would cut health funding like Ontario’s Doug Ford did. The problem for Morneau is that Ontario actually increased health funding in the last budget by $1.3 billion.
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