Saskatchewan’s Premier was at the Council of Federation meeting Sunday and Monday and joined other Premiers in calling for federal policies and programs to be delivered in a fair and equitable way to all Canadians. A news release from Canada’s Premiers says they are concerned with the recent actions by the Government of Canada taking home heating oil off the carbon tax list temporarily, which mostly affects Atlantic Canada.
The Premiers welcomed the decision of the College of Family Physicians of Canada to leave family practice residency at two years instead of adding another year, noting that more family doctors are needed and there are shortages across the country.
It also appears a cease-fire has been declared between Saskatchewan and Newfoundland/Labrador in efforts to recruit actively working health-care workers from the other province.
Saskatchewan’s health-care recruitment agency went on a five-province trip in September, which included three Maritime provinces, as well as Ontario and Quebec.
Newfoundland/Labrador responded by sending its recruiting team to Saskatchewan a few weeks later. Face-to-face discussions between Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Newfoundland/Labrador Premier Andrew Furey seemed to have patched things up. Moe believes there is a distinction between newly graduated students and those currently working in the system.
“Recruiting teams being at post-secondary job fairs, for example, which are providing options for our graduates to where they might work in Canada versus potentially actively recruiting health care professionals that are working in other areas. I think we sorted that out for certain between the two provinces and I think we had a healthy discussion about that today,” Moe said.
“Having talked to Premier Moe privately and amongst the group (premiers), we all recognize health care professionals are in high demand right now and they are very mobile, but Canada has an absolute imperative to continue to provide top notch care in our own jurisdiction,” Furey said. “Robbing ‘Peter to pay Paul’ does not help advance that agenda in any shape or form.”
The housing crisis was also discussed at the Council of Federation meeting. The provincial and territorial leaders would like more collaboration with the federal government, to be adaptable to each region, when it comes to the lack of affordable housing. As well the Premiers called on the federal government to address the chronic under funding of housing in Indigenous communities.
