Alberta NDP demand more healthcare money in federal budget
Posted Apr 7, 2022 7:49 pm.
Last Updated Apr 7, 2022 7:53 pm.
Alberta’s new democrats are not overly impressed with the federal budget.
NDP leader Rachel Notley says the budget doesn’t do enough when it comes to healthcare.
“The federal budget does not provide Canadians, and in particular the citizens of Manitoba and Alberta, with the support for healthcare that we all need in order to repair the long-term and probably multi-generational damage that has been inflicted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Notley said at a joint press conference with Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew.
“We see no increases to the Canada health transfer, either ongoing increases or even sort of a pandemic-based top-up. Nothing of significance,” Notley added.
“Provinces for years, years, decades — and this goes back to when I was premier as well — have been pushing the federal government to step up and restore their part of the partnership when it comes to funding healthcare,” said Notley.
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Notley says they’ve asked Ottawa to put in 35 per cent of healthcare costs which in Alberta would amount to 3.5 billion.
However, she does give the feds credit when it comes to funding for dental care.
“We do see a commitment with respect to dental care. Good news, we’re very pleased to see that, for the people of Alberta that means about 170 Million but to put that in context, that’s about five per cent of what we really need to do the work that’s necessary to protect our healthcare system,” said Notley.
Meantime, Public Interest Alberta gives the budget a thumbs up.
Executive Director Bradley Lafortune says PIA is happy to see dental care and affordable housing initiatives.
“It was nice to see all the investments in housing across the housing spectrum from the rapid housing initiative all the way up to considering interventions in the market for first-time homebuyers,” said Lafortune.
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“As well as some of that tricky stuff to get at with the distortions in the market when it comes to people buying several homes and flipping them,” said Lafortune.
He also says he’s impressed with how the federal government plans to finance some of the changes.
“We were very pleased to see the federal government introduce a windfall tax on big banks and insurance companies to help offset some of the costs with the investments [in the] budget,” said Lafortune.
“That’s really important rather than burning Canadians and Albertans further, we looked to corporations to pay their fair share a little bit,” said Lafortune
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Windfall taxes are levies on large profits, mostly unexpected financial gains deemed to be excessive or unfairly obtained.
Lafortune adds more interventions are needed including at the provincial level to try and stop huge companies from dominating the rental market.
