Canada’s Western Premiers’ Conference 2003

KELOWNA, British Columbia

June 9, 2003

Western Premiers agree that there is important unfinished business with respect to federal funding for health care.

The arrangement announced by the Prime Minister at the February 2003 First Ministers’ Meeting was a good step, but it did not adequately address Canadians' need for a sustainable health care funding partnership, as identified by the federal government's Royal Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada. The arrangement raised the share of federal funding from 14% in 2002/03 to just under 16% in 2003/04, but failed to meet Romanow's recommendation to restore the federal share of health care funding to 25% of provincial and territorial health expenditures.

Western Premiers called on the federal government to address the “Romanow gap” in its 2004 Budget. This means increasing federal funding by $3 billion in 2004/05 and by 1% per year after that until the federal share of funding is 25% of provincial/territorial health and social expenditures. Premiers called on all federal party leaders and leadership contenders to directly address their respective positions on this critical need for all Canadians.

Western Premiers agreed that the federal government should act immediately to make good on its previous commitment to provide a further $2 billion from their 2003/04 surplus. They noted that the federal government’s surplus for 2002/03 is now over $10 billion. Ottawa clearly has the capacity to honour its pledge and provide the additional funding now.

Western Premiers received and released a report from their Finance Ministers, which analyzes the health care funding arrangement announced at the First Ministers’ Meeting in February.

An adequate funding partnership is required to improve key health care services, reduce waiting lists, and address health human resources shortages.

Western Premiers noted that nationally all provinces and territories have committed to training 10,000 more nurses per year. The Western provinces and territories are already training over 4,000 more nurses each year than they were two years ago.

Western Premiers have agreed in principle that health ministers have made progress toward a framework for the Health Council, and look forward to finalizing it with other premiers at the Annual Premiers' Conference in Charlottetown this July.

Western Premiers stressed that all provinces and territories are making progress on a number of health care reforms and are continuing to work on a range of important initiatives like centers of excellence, pharmaceutical reform and human resource development. They also acknowledged the need to better inform Canadians on the cost drivers of their health care system, working together with the Premiers’ Council on Canadian Health Awareness in preparation for the Annual Premiers’ Conference in July.

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