Northern premiers say no to federal health deal

DENISE RIDEOUT

OTTAWA — Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik and his two territorial counterparts said no last week to an increase in health funding worth $10.8 million a year over three years to Nunavut, saying the “measly” amount would barely buy a week’s worth of health care in the territory.

Okalik had counted on the federal government coming through with enough money to help Nunavut pay for medical travel, new equipment and more doctors and nurses.

Instead, Okalik said, Nunavut’s $10.8 million — or $3.6 million each year for three years — doesn’t even come close to covering the cost of medevacing patients to southern hospitals, one of the health department’s biggest expenses at $28.5 million a year.

“Yesterday it became clear that perhaps the prime minister will leave a legacy of neglect for the North,” said Okalik, who didn’t smile during a press conference on Feb. 5, minutes before Prime Minister Jean Chrétien announced a new funding deal between Ottawa and the provinces.

Under the agreement, Ottawa will increase its health transfers to the provinces and territories by $27 billion over the next five years.

But Okalik and the premiers of the Northwest Territories and the Yukon made their own startling announcement: the three territories won’t accept the deal.

“We have to go back to our people and tell them there is nothing for them,” said NWT Premier Stephen Kakfwi.

The three territorial premiers walked away when it became clear the prime minister wasn’t willing to give them the special territorial health-care fund they had been asking for.

The territorial premiers say the extra money is needed because the per capita funding arrangement gives them only a tiny portion of the health money that Ottawa transfers to the provinces.

The fund would have given Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon 0.5 per cent each of any new health-care money in addition to the per capita arrangement.

But all the prime minister was willing to offer was the same per capita formula they’ve been fighting for years. It works out to $10.8 million for Nunavut, $15.6 million for the NWT and $12 million for the Yukon.

The three premiers refused to sit at the table when Chrétien and the provincial premiers announced details of the new funding. “We deal with native health care. But the demands far exceed the resources available,” the prime minister said.

The day after the meeting, the three dissenting premiers held a press conference at Parliament Hill to explain their bold move.

“It’s about $3 million a year for Nunavut. That’s about a week’s worth of money. And that won’t cut it in our current situation. So the offer that was provided wouldn’t make a difference for us,” said a stern-faced Paul Okalik.

Okalik painted a grim picture of health care in the North, saying Nunavut has skyrocketing rates of tuberculosis, cancer and infant mortality with only 10 resident doctors, and that many patients have to fly to Iqaluit or to southern-based hospitals for treatment.

Kakfwi said that in September 2000, the prime minister made a special commitment to help the territories address their unique health problems. In addition, when the country’s premiers met in Toronto in January, they all supported the territories’ request for a special fund.

“We’re not asking for much. Out of the billions of dollars, we’re asking that a fund be established that would have included a few million of the billions of dollars to enable us to deliver health care in a reasonable manner,” said Dennis Fentie, premier of the Yukon.

Okalik said Nunavut isn’t looking for a handout.

“We’ve introduced telehealth to reduce travel costs. We’ve negotiated special rates with airlines for medical travel. So we’ve done our fair share in trying to keep our costs down. But that still doesn’t meet our needs. All we’re asking is that our basic needs be met,” he said.

“We have been diverting our funds to health care and it looks like we will continue to have to do so.”

Although Nunavut and the other territories haven’t “signed” the agreement, they’ll receive Ottawa’s new money anyway.