Source: The Canadian Press
Nov 29, 2016
WINNIPEG _ The president of the Manitoba Metis Federation says he’s shocked that the province is cutting funding for a preventative health program.
David Chartrand said Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen told him the program would be cut in his first meeting with the politician.
Chartrand says he walked out of the meeting.
The program paid for five staff that work on community wellness programs out of Brandon, and do research allowing the federation and health authorities to find solutions to Metis health problems.
Chartrand said pulling the plug now will cost the Manitoba government and taxpayers more down the road.
Goertzen said the program was a pilot project and the agreement between the federation and the province expired on March 31.
“We’re not cutting the funding,” Goertzen said. “There was a pilot project that was instituted about five years ago, it was supposed to run for three years. It was extended on a year-to-year basis.”
Chartrand said he wants federal health money to come straight to the federation, bypassing the province.
“This is absolutely needed. You have no other Metis plan.”
(CTV Winnipeg)
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