Stephen Harper’s hands-off stance could signal end to national health-care system: Romanow
Prime Minister Stephen Harper must join Canada’s premiers at the negotiating table to discuss medicare reforms or the country’s public health-care system will grow weaker, medical privatization will spread and national unity will be imperilled, says Roy Romanow. The former Saskatchewan premier, who led a royal commission on health care a decade ago, made the comments in an exclusive interview with Postmedia News. Romanow said he is worried the Harper government has adopted a deliberate strategy to leave health care to the provinces — possibly to foster the development of more private, for-profit medical companies. [...] Romanow expressed anxiety at signs coming from the federal government. In December, federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty surprised his provincial counterparts at a meeting in Victoria by unveiling a non-negotiable long-term funding plan that falls short of what some provinces had hoped for. Federal health-care transfers will continue to increase by six per cent until 2016-17. After that, increases will only be tied to economic growth including inflation — currently roughly four per cent — and never fall below three per cent.