BR Quebec Ottawa Health Spat – CP

Source: The Canadian Press – Broadcast wire
Nov 15, 2018

Quebec Premier Francois Legault is telling Ottawa to butt out of the province’s business on health care.

Legault told reporters, “We will not be dictated to by the federal government.”

The strong words were in reaction to news that Federal Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor threatened the province last summer over its tolerance of private health-care services.

Petitpas Taylor wrote a letter to former Quebec health minister Gaetan Barrette in August, warning him that Ottawa would cut health-care transfer payments to the province if it continued to allow patients to pay out of pocket for medical exams.

The letter, obtained by The Canadian Press, says allowing patients to jump the queue in the public system and pay for private exams is “unjust” and a violation of the Canada Health Act.

Legault told reporters that Quebec has full authority over its health-care system.

Quebec’s new health minister, Danielle McCann, echoed the premier’s comments.

The federal government transferred 6.2 billion dollars to Quebec in health care payments for the 2018-19 fiscal year.

—

(The Canadian Press)

INDEX: HEALTH NATIONAL POLITICS