40th Annual Premiers’ Conference

  2. Newsroom

NEWS RELEASES – INDEX OF NEWS RELEASES ISSUED ON AUGUST 11, 1999

Ref: 850-073/021

PRIORITY HEALTH SECTOR ISSUES

QUÉBEC CITY, August 11, 1999 -- Health and health care issues are the pre-eminent concerns of Canadians. The delivery of health services, single-tier and publicly funded, is cherished by Canadians and respected worldwide. During the Conference, Premiers and Territorial Leaders discussed ways of ensuring that the health care system will continue to meet the health needs of Canadians into the 21st century.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders agreed on three priority areas of health: sustainability, with its components of adequate and predictable federal funding, reliable health professional staffing to meet projected needs, and improved information decision support systems; population health including the improvement of health of all Canadians; and clear roles and responsibilities.

Funding is the key issue for health sustainability. Premiers and Territorial Leaders therefore request that the federal government fully restore Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) funding to 1994/95 levels with an appropriate escalator for the CHST cash transfer that keeps pace with cost and particular demand pressures.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders also agreed to direct their provincial and territorial Ministers of Health to work together to develop practical recommendations for ensuring a sustainable, affordable, single-tier, publicly funded health care system for the 21st century. Ministers will report back to Premiers and Territorial Leaders with recommendations by June 2000.

All areas of Canada are faced with the need to ensure an adequate and reliable supply of health professionals, including doctors and nurses. A quality health and health care system cannot be maintained without adequate numbers of trained personnel to meet service needs, i.e., the right provider, in the right place, at the right time and at the right cost.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders directed their Ministers of Health to work in partnership to address health human resources issues in a timely and cost effective way to ensure an adequate, reliable and affordable supply of health professionals. Ministers of Health will report back to Premiers and Territorial Leaders with recommendations by June 2000.

The Premiers and Territorial Leaders directed their Ministers of Health to ensure health information and research support improved management and decision-making at all levels of health care delivery and health outcomes for Canadians.

Information to support timely decision making is important at all levels of the health care system. Most importantly, enhanced information systems have direct applications in patient care and improved health system management. The federal government has made a funding commitment to improve health information systems. Premiers and Territorial Leaders urged that the federal government funding commitment continue and fully support the needs of these information systems as identified by provincial/territorial jurisdictions.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders acknowledged the need to improve population health in all regions of Canada. They therefore request that provincial and territorial Ministers work together to identify and provide options on how to address these matters.

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EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

QUÉBEC CITY, August 11, 1999 -- Premiers and Territorial Leaders expressed concern that changes made by the federal government to Employment Insurance regulations in the 1990's have significantly reduced the eligibility, level and duration of benefits for the unemployed, while producing a large surplus in the EI account.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders expressed particular concern for the hardships being faced by low income seasonal and part-time workers as a result of the EI program changes, and expressed regret that the federal government had declined to work with provinces and territories to develop policy options to help low income seasonal and part-time workers.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders reiterated their call on the federal government to work collaboratively with provinces and territories to find long-term solutions to address the problem of seasonal unemployment.

They also urged the federal government to make available additional Part II funds as provided for under the EI Act, to fund new measures to extend employment opportunities for seasonal and part-time workers. Premiers and Territorial Leaders also agreed on the importance of the federal government increasing the overall funding package made available to provinces and territories for the financing of active measures to the maximum set out in the Employment Insurance Act, namely 0.8% of the total insurance earnings on an equitable basis.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders reaffirmed their call made at the last APC urging the federal government to continue to reduce EI premium rates to previous levels, given the large and growing surplus in the EI account.

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CANADIAN SHIPBUILDING POLICY

QUÉBEC CITY, August 11, 1999 -- Due to the increasing globalization of the world economy Premiers and Territorial Leaders noted the importance for Canadian industries to be competitive with their counterparts in other countries; shipbuilding is no exception in this regard. Currently, foreign competitors have a pricing advantage over Canadian shipyards, in Canadian and international markets, due to support programs provided by their governments. Premiers and Territorial Leaders noted that the federal government has a role in ensuring a level playing field for Canadian industries with their international competitors. As a priority, Premiers and Territorial Leaders called on the federal government to pursue within upcoming WTO negotiations, the objective of eliminating government subsidies to shipbuilders in foreign countries. In the absence of WTO resolution of this problem on subsidies to shipbuilding, Premiers and Territorial Leaders called on the federal government to establish a comprehensive national policy.

Although long-term industrial and trade policies are required to solve market access and government subsidy problems, there is an immediate need to counter the pricing advantages of Canada's major shipbuilding competitors. Canadian shipbuilders must have access to improved financing.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders once again called on the Government of Canada to revise the Canadian Shipbuilding Policy in consultation with industry stakeholders and the provinces with the goal of promoting this vital sector of the Canadian economy. Given the capacity of many shipyards to take on additional work, Premiers and Territorial Leaders urged the federal government to ensure that plans to expand the Canadian fleet, including Coast Guard and military requirements, be implemented as expediently as possible.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders also called on the Prime Minister to identify a federal lead to work with provinces and industry stakeholders in establishing a shipbuilding policy which will help to increase the competitiveness of the industry.

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INTERNAL TRADE STATUS REPORT

QUÉBEC CITY, August 11, 1999 -- Premiers recognized that maintaining and enhancing Canada's competitiveness requires enhancing conditions for doing business across Canada and improving trade flows between provinces.

Premiers accepted the status report on activities under the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) and reaffirmed their governments' commitments to the goals of the Agreement and to its full implementation.

Premiers encouraged Ministers of Internal Trade to continue to make progress in implementing the outstanding commitments under the AIT. Premiers are pleased that Ministers are continuing in their efforts to conclude negotiations as soon as possible on procurement by commercial Crown corporations and the Energy Chapter of the AIT. In addition, Ministers will consider ways to strengthen the Code of Conduct on Investment Incentives at their next meeting in the fall, based on the report of the Working Group on Investment.

Premiers also directed Ministers of Internal Trade to continue to consider practical ways to work cooperatively together to strengthen the Canadian economy and Canada's competitiveness.

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EARLY YEARS & CHILDREN'S ISSUES

QUÉBEC CITY, August 11, 1999 -- Premiers discussed their various efforts to address children's issues. All provinces and territories have identified children's issues as a top priority and, consistent with children's health and education being primarily areas of provincial responsibility, have taken their own steps in addressing the key children's issues within their jurisdictions. Through these actions, provinces and territories are together demonstrating leadership in this area.

The Premiers noted the cooperative work of governments in the successful launch of the National Child Benefit and the progress being made in the implementation of the program.

Premiers reviewed the key findings in the Early Years Study, Reversing the Real Brain Drain, a recent report on children's issues funded by the Government of Ontario, and co-authored by Dr. J. Fraser Mustard and the Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain. Premiers agreed that one of the important lessons from their own efforts on behalf of children, and affirmed by Dr. Mustard and Ms. McCain's report, is that early childhood learning is not the sole responsibility of government but must involve parents, educators and business leaders.

Premiers also discussed recent media reports on the possibility of a new federal children's initiative. Premiers noted that they expect the federal government to meet commitments to undertake early and meaningful collaboration with the provinces and territories on any federal plans for new children's programs so that any new federal initiatives are not duplicative of work already underway in the provinces and territories.

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CHILD PROSTITUTION

QUÉBEC CITY, August 11, 1999 -- Premiers and Territorial Leaders noted there are differences in child welfare laws across Canada that make it difficult for officials to apprehend children involved with prostitution in one jurisdiction to be returned to their families in another jurisdiction.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders expressed their commitment to the safety of children and recognized that children engaged in prostitution are victims of child abuse. Premiers and Territorial Leaders agreed to ask officials to review child welfare legislation with a view to harmonizing provincial laws as they relate to the apprehension and protection of children engaged in prostitution.

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INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENHANCE COMPETITIVENESS

QUÉBEC CITY, August 11, 1999 -- Premiers and Territorial Leaders agreed that the development and maintenance of a strong infrastructure base is a key component supporting a competitive economy. Premiers and Territorial Leaders discussed a range of infrastructure issues, some of which were of concern to all regions in Canada, others of which had particular regional significance.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders agreed that funding for highway systems should be a major component of a strategy, and infrastructure investment should be flexible to address other transportation priorities such as trade corridors, border crossings, intermodal facilities, urban transit and intelligent transportation systems.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders acknowledged the challenges faced by remote northern regions which rely on transportation infrastructure for access, tourism, and economic development. Premiers and Territorial Leaders stressed the importance of land link between Northern Manitoba to Nunavut.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders agreed that infrastructure investment should be based on the following principles:

       

       

       
  1. Investments in infrastructure should be based on concrete strategic criteria, including return on investment, prospects for long-term economic growth and enhanced competitiveness.    

     

       
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  2. Each provincial or territorial government must be able to select and approve the appropriate projects that best build on their competitive strengths. It must be consistent with provincial or territorial infrastructure priorities. Provinces and territories would assume full management.    

     

       
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  3. It must be flexible enough to address both hard infrastructure needs (e.g. international gateways, urban transportation, highways), soft infrastructure and strategic investments in telecommunications infrastructure (e.g. environmental services, information technology, health and education equipment, communications).    

     

       
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  4. It should also be flexible enough to allow for the participation of other sectors, including innovative private-public partnerships and, as appropriate, for varying degrees of municipal participation determined by provinces and territories.    

     

       
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  5. Funding arrangements should be consistent with existing provincial fiscal plans, the investments that provinces and territories have already made in their regular budgets for infrastructure would be accounted for as part of their contribution.    

     

       
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  6. Design must allocate federal funding among provinces and territories equitably.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders asked Finance Ministers to work with their federal colleagues to consider options for infrastructure development that will focus on advancing Canada's global competitiveness.

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AGRICULTURE

QUÉBEC CITY, August 11, 1999 -- Premiers and Territorial Leaders discussed the farm income crisis being faced by most farmers and agreed that this is a national concern. Premiers and Territorial Leaders agreed that current safety net programs must be reformed to effectively deal with this farm income crisis brought on by low prices, natural disasters, international subsidies, and rising input costs.

Across the prairie provinces, net farm income has been forecast at a negative position. For example, compared to the five year average, Saskatchewan's 1999 realized net farm income is forecast to decline by 107 per cent. Manitoba's 1999 realized net farm income is forecast to decline by 72 per cent.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders agreed that Canadian farmers, especially producers of grains, livestock and oilseeds, continue to face unfair competition from international competitors nearly five years after the implementation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders agreed that subsidies paid to producers by Canada's major competitors creates an unlevel playing field that puts Canadian producers at a competitive disadvantage.

In the absence of WTO resolution of this problem of agriculture subsidies, Premiers and Territorial Leaders called on the federal government to establish a comprehensive national policy that addresses this inequity.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders urged the federal government to take aggressive action to negotiate the international elimination of trade distorting export agricultural subsidies and barriers to market access in the next round of WTO negotiations, scheduled to begin at the end of this year.

Returns to producers in the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan are further reduced by unprecedented rainfall not covered by crop insurance. Premiers and Territorial Leaders agreed that the federal government has an obligation to cooperate with provinces to provide targeted disaster relief to producers in such circumstances, caused by extreme weather conditions, preserving the integrity of existing safety net programs.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders discussed the status of federal reforms to the grain handling and transportation system, and agreed that reforms are required to improve system performance and maximize net returns to producers.

All Premiers and Territorial Leaders supported the western provinces in calling for an integrated and comprehensive, "farm gate-to-customer" approach to grain handling and transportation reform. They emphasized that any move toward a more commercial system must:

       
  • Direct efficiency gains to producers;
       
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  • Retain freight rate regulation until effective competition is in place; and,
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  • Utilize commercial tendering where it maximizes net returns to producers.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders also renewed their call for a moratorium to railway branch line abandonment, at least until the "Kroeger Process" tables its recommendations to the federal government.

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INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS

QUÉBEC CITY, August 11, 1999 -- Premiers and Territorial Leaders noted that the negotiations, implementation and management of international agreements increasingly affects areas of provincial responsibility.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders agreed that, because of the direct impact of international agreements on their jurisdictions, provinces and territories are pressing the federal government to involve provinces and territories at every stage leading up to the conclusion of international agreement from the negotiation, implementation and management of international agreements. While there have been some federal-provincial-territorial discussions on the formalization of the provincial-territorial role with respect to international agreements, no federal-provincial-territorial agreement on this topic has been reached.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders therefore reiterated their long-standing support for an immediate formalized federal-provincial-territorial agreement on the provincial-territorial role in the negotiation, implementation and management of international agreements. They called on the Prime Minister to provide direction to appropriate federal Ministers to work expeditiously with their provincial and territorial committee of Ministers responsible for International Trade to conclude such an agreement before the launch of the new round of multilateral trade negotiations in the World Trade Organization at the end of this year.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders called on the federal government to give clear directions to the new Ambassador to the WTO on the next round of multilateral negotiations of the WTO with special emphasis on agriculture and shipbuilding issues. They also called upon the new Ambassador to acknowledge the formal role of the provinces and territories at every stage of those negotiations.

Given the importance and potential of the economic market of the Americas, Premiers and Territorial Leaders agreed that provinces and territories must actively participate in all stages of the organization of and discussions about the Summit of Americas which will be held in Québec City in 2001. The terms of participation should, as soon as possible, be jointly determined with the federal government.

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ENHANCING NORTHERN COMPETITIVENESS

QUÉBEC CITY, August 11, 1999 -- In keeping with the Premiers' and Territorial Leaders' position on a balanced approach to improve competitiveness, Premiers supported the efforts of Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut to gain greater control over their resources and government services so that programs and services can be more responsive to northern priorities, reduce dependencies, increase efficiencies and provide opportunities for northern peoples. Premiers also agreed that the transfer of current federal responsibilities to territorial governments must be accompanied by adequate resources.

Ref: 850-073/031

BUILDING THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY TOGETHER

QUÉBEC CITY, August 11, 1999 -- The importance of the ongoing construction of the "information highway" to Canada's future development and to its global competitiveness is clear to all Premiers and Territorial Leaders. Governments at all levels in Canada have embraced the expanded use of information technology (IT) as an important means of enhancing public sector productivity and services, a key economic growth sector, and a fundamental infrastructure enabling future economic and social development. Investments by governments are helping to make Canada a world leader in the use of IT.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders agreed during their discussions that improved Federal/Provincial/Territorial coordination and consultation will be necessary to maximize the potential benefits of government IT investments and to avoid duplication of efforts among jurisdictions.

Premiers and Territorial Leaders recognize that where the federal government has worked collaboratively with provinces and territories in a number of IT areas like Y2K, e-commerce security, and the Community Access Program, substantial benefits have been realized by these partners.

Given the growing importance of information technology to all government jurisdictions, the Premiers and Territorial Leaders call on the Federal government to incorporate meaningful consultation with Provincial and Territorial governments into all Canada-wide, IT-related project and policy implementation processes. Premiers and Territorial Leaders recommend that the existing Public Sector Chief Information Officer Council, which reports to ministers responsible for the information highway, become the primary vehicle for such consultations.

Ref: 850-073/032

PROGRESS REPORT ON SOCIAL POLICY RENEWAL

QUÉBEC CITY, August 11, 1999 -- Premiers and Territorial Leaders, with the exception of the Premier of Quebec*, reviewed the Fourth Progress Report of the Provincial/Territorial Council on Social Policy Renewal, which is attached, and endorsed its recommendations. The Report provides information and recommendations on the various elements of the social policy renewal, including: the Social Union Framework Agreement; National Children's Agenda; National Child Benefit; Health; Benefits and Services for Persons with Disabilities; Labour Market; Education; Aboriginal Affairs, Status of Women; Housing; and Finance and Fiscal Issues.

* Note: While sharing essentially the same concerns, the Government of Quebec does not intend to adhere to the federal/provincial/territorial approach or the provincial/territorial approach to social policies. Furthermore, Quebec did not sign the Social Union Framework Agreement. Consequently, any reference to joint federal/provincial/territorial positions or provincial/territorial positions in this document do not include the Government of Quebec.