The provinces are, once again, uniting to demand more federal funding for health care.
Provincial and territorial premiers wrote to the Prime Minister this week to ask for a meeting on health care. Among their reasons for more federal support is the aging population, and the resources needed to care for the elderly.
On Thursday Quebec Health Minister Gaetan Barrette squared off with his federal counterpart Jane Philpott.
He and other provincial health ministers are concerned ottawa has not increased transfer payments, and that Ottawa may attach conditions to the funding.
Barrette's tough talk is part of a strategy to increase the $5.9 billion in health care funding transferred this year from the federal government to Quebec.
He wants Ottawa to fund one quarter of Quebec's health care budget, without restrictions.
"It is the trap that the federal government is pushing us into talking about conditions. It's their way not to talk about funding and we're all trapped and we are all talking about conditions, strings attached, no strings loosely attached, tightly attached whatever... but we are not talking about the real thing that comes first, funding," said Barrette.
Last year the federal Liberals promised to increase spending on home care by $3 billion over the next four years.
Provincial health ministers will meet with Philpott on October 18.
The agenda for that meeting is still being worked out
