Ontario Premier Doug Ford appears to have broken the provincial common front by showing a willingness to accept the conditions imposed by Ottawa in exchange for long-demanded increases in health transfers.
• Also read: Trudeau-Legault: Bury the hatchet
• Also read: What 2023 has in store for us: Major projects in the healthcare sector
Responding to a reporter at a news conference at a pharmacy on Wednesday, Mr Ford replied with a resounding “yes” when asked if he was “ready” to live with Ottawa’s terms.
“Yes. […] I always say that regardless of the level, whether local, provincial or federal, there is only one taxpayer,” he said.
Doug Ford said he was “confident” that an agreement with Ottawa would come sooner or later, but stressed that he appreciated “a little flexibility” from Ottawa.
The increase in the federal contribution is “absolutely critical, especially for a large province like Ontario,” he said. “We cannot continue at this pace without the support of the federal government. […].”
Called for response, the office of German Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos cautiously described Mr Ford’s departure as “excellent news”, although there was “still work to be done”.
Until now, the provinces have stood together to reject any condition imposed by the Trudeau government on the matter. The new position of Ontario, the country’s largest province, could mean a major change in negotiations between the provinces and the federal government.
The Liberal government in Ottawa has said it stands ready to provide the provinces with the increase they are asking for, subject to certain conditions, one of which is the sharing of detailed data on the state of health systems.
The Conservative Prime Minister said he had spoken to all the province’s prime ministers over the past week. A meeting between them is due to take place this month, but no date has yet been set, according to Mr Ford.
“We will keep knocking on the door until the prime minister sits down with us.”
At the time of writing these lines, the office of Minister Christian Dubé had not yet reacted.