Premiers reignite push for considerably more health funding from feds | Telegraph-JournalAdvertisement oopStory
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Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail LinksNew BrunswickThe IssuesHealth care‘This one's urgent’: Holt says mental health, seniors
funds to expirePremiers push for deal with fed to replace millions in mental health and seniors funding about to
expireAuthor of the article: Adam Huras Published Jul 22, 2026 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 5 minute read
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country's premiers are seen prior to their meeting Wednesday morning at Canada's Premiers 2026 in Charlottetown. Photo
by Tim Krochak/PostmediaArticle contentSusan Holt says millions in mental health and seniors funding from the federal
government is about to expire, stating that the provinces need an “urgent” deal with Ottawa to sustain their efforts
to build a better health care system.Advertisement 2Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your
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subscription. Activate your Online Access NowArticle contentThat’s as Prime Minister Mark Carney says he is open to
talks.The future of health care funding was on the agenda at meetings between the country’s premiers and prime
minister in Prince Edward Island on Thursday.Canada’s premiers are reigniting a push to see the federal government pay
considerably more for health care across the country, with hope for a renewed long-term agreement.But there’s also a
more pressing component to federal health funding.“This one’s kind of urgent,” Holt said in an interview with
Brunswick News at the end of Thursday’s meeting.“There’s funding that expires in March of 2027, and we need to see
a commitment from the federal government sooner than later because we’re all moving into budgeting season.“So there
is certainly a larger conversation to have about the future of the federal-provincial relationship when it comes to
health funding, but, for now, we at least need to see a continuation of the bilateral funding that’s in
place.”Morning Email Telegraph-JournalA clear and concise roundup to start your weekday morning.There was an error,
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advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article contentIn 2023, the former Trudeau government
topped up health care transfers in a new 10-year deal.That agreement sees health transfers increase by a guaranteed five
per cent for a first five years, compared to the minimum three per cent in a former deal.That expires in March 2028.But
there were also a series of bilateral deals that gave provinces additional dollars for mental health, home and community
care, and long-term care.That has meant roughly $32 million in extra money for New Brunswick in each of the last several
years.That’s an agreement that expires in March 2027.“Our government has made generational investments in the health
care system in order to transform primary care, in order to support our nurses, and our health care professionals, to
get more seats in our education systems, and we still can’t keep up,” Holt said on the importance of the
money.“And so we need a partner that gives us that clear, predictable partnered funding path while we transform the
kind of health care services that New Brunswickers expect and deserve.Advertisement 4Story continues belowThis
advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content“It’s millions and millions of
dollars that would not be in next year’s budget if we don’t get something sorted out soon.”Carney said at a press
conference on Thursday that he has asked two cabinet ministers “to work on the issue.”That’s while adding “we
need to increase productivity in the health sector and to make decisions with regards to all the information available
to us as soon as possible.”A joint statement by the prime minister and the premiers released after Thursday’s
meeting stated “in the spirit of cooperative federalism, they will direct their ministers of health and finance to
discuss longer-term funding and productivity in the sector.”Holt said she was satisfied with the response.“He heard
us because we all articulated the same message, and he agreed to make time to come back to it with a clear answer for us
on the clear ask that we made,” Holt said of Thursday’s meeting.“We want to see the 2027 funding extended. We want
to see the escalator set at five per cent, and then we want to get into the longer conversation about what health care
funding looks like.”Advertisement 5Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article
continues below.Article contentHolt also entered the meeting pushing for larger long-term funding.“The intent under
the Health Transfer Act was for 50-50 funding between the provinces and the country, and today the country’s portion
is down to 21 per cent,” Holt told reporters at the outset of the Charlottetown meetings.“So we need to see that
come back up because the needs are greater.“We know we have a population that has more serious health concerns.
Certainly in New Brunswick, we have a population that is older than the rest of the country and experiences higher
levels of chronic disease dispersed across our beautiful province from corner to corner to corner.”Holt added: “We
think the Health Transfer Act needs to recognize the needs because we cannot grow our economy and invest in our defence
sector and improve all of our energy offerings without that healthy workforce, and that requires the federal government
to contribute at the same levels as the provinces.”It’s an argument premiers have brought before, and one that
Ottawa has also disagreed with.Advertisement 6Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your
article continues below.Article contentCanada’s premiers have long lobbied Ottawa to increase its share of national
health care costs to 35 per cent, from what it maintains is only around 20 per cent.Those numbers are refuted.The feds
point to a change in the funding formula in the 1990s, agreed upon by provinces, that replaced the federal
government’s share with a mix of cash and tax points transferred from the federal government to the provinces.This
year, New Brunswick’s Canada Health Transfer from Ottawa is pegged to be $1.203 billion.The feds say that’s up $61
million year over year.Still, Holt’s call is being echoed by other premiers.The public health care system is one of
the fundamental ways Canada sets itself apart from the United States, said Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew.“It’s one of
the reasons Canadians live longer than Americans,” he said.“And this is why businesses should realize that their
investment in Canada is more competitive than putting those dollars forward in the States because they would be paying
less towards the health care policy.”Advertisement 7Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but
your article continues below.Article contentPrince Edward Island Premier Rob Lantz, who chaired the premiers’ meeting,
said the provinces are looking for a long-term commitment from Ottawa.“We certainly had a robust discussion about
health care in this country and the need for the federal government to come to the table as a strong, stable, reliable
partner that’s able to fund universal health care across this entire country,” he said.“We had a robust discussion
today about the role that we expect the federal government to play.“We need a long-term commitment.”Nova Scotia
Premier Tim Houston said there have been tangible results to show for from provincial and federal funding to date,
noting that, in his province, under six per cent of residents aren’t tied to a family practice.“But we can’t
jeopardize the standard of care,” he said. “We need a partner from the federal government who’s there and
recognizes that and does their part.”Article contentShare this article in your social network Share this Story :
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