Give up trade barriers in trade-off for health-care dollars, Pallister tells fellow premiers

Brian Pallisterbelieves his fellow premiers would give upinterprovincial trade barriers if it meantmore health-care moneyfrom Ottawa.

Manitoba's premier called a news conference Tuesday to championhis proposal, which he framed as the establishment of a "grand bargain" in a news release.

"I am proposing that we seek a commitment for stable federal health-care funding in return for our support for federal legislation establishing a Canadian economicunion," he said in the release.

At the Manitoba Legislature, the premiersaid he hassent a letter to each provinceandhas the backing of a number of other premiers.

"The provinces have jealously guarded for a long time their right to create silos in our Confederation, and that needs to be relinquished,"said Pallister, who hascampaigned for monthsagainst provincial trade barriershe likensto an unnecessary tariff.

"If we're going to recognize federal authority here, there's going to need to be a trade-off," Pallister said.

"Ithink the logical one is that we have greater assurance that we have a partnership with the federal governmenton [health] funding."

Manitoba wasthe last province to sign an agreement on a health-care pact with Ottawa in 2017, which prescribed an annual funding increase of around 3.5per centdown from the six per cent increases Manitobabecame accustomed to.

The province and the federal governmentare still wrangling over the details of a bilateral agreement in principleto get money for mental health and home care flowing, however.

Health transfers not enough

"Provinces have the responsibility for delivering health care, andthat requires more adequate andmore stable federal funding than we've seen in recent years," he said Tuesday at the Manitoba Legislature.

Pallisteris arguing theprovinces would give up theeconomic advantages fromtrade barriers for greater health transfers. He previously made that pitch in an op-edlast December in The Financial Post.

Pallisterwouldn't say to what degreefederal health transfers should rise, butargued an annual five per cent increase should be the minimum.

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Tuesday he's disappointed Manitoba hasn't yet signed the agreementfor mental health and home care.

"While we agree with Premier Pallister on the long-term economic benefits of reducing barriers to trade within Canada, it is surprising and disappointing that his government is neglecting its obligations on health care by delaying the signing of a bilateral agreement with our government that would benefit all Manitobans," LeBlanc said in an emailed statement.

In the meantime, Manitoba's premier said he's working collaboratively with the federal governmenton a number of issues, including additional money for mental health and addictions, which he has been negotiating for morethan 17 months.

He's alsoat the table debatingManitoba's share of the new national housing strategy, and hewasn't keen to hear Toronto MP Adam Vaughan callingCBC Radio'sCross-Country Checkup on Sunday to blast what the Ontario politician perceives as Manitoba'sinaction, he said.

"Federal Liberal MPs have a challenge right now getting their own house in order," he said, in an apparent reference to the SNC-Lavalinaffair. "We'll do the housing policy negotiations in the appropriate way, and not on call-in shows."