Economic matters like cost of living and inflation will be top of mind for parliamentarians as they return to Ottawa to kick off a new year in federal politics.
Members of Parliament will sit in the House of Commons today for the first session of 2023 after retreating with their respective parties to strategize their priorities.
Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government would be focused on the cost of living and promised more targeted supports during the expected economic slowdown that would not add to inflation.
But the government has several other potentially pricey priorities to balance as it assembles its spring budget and legislative agenda, including several promises the Liberals made in their supply and confidence agreement with the NDP.
Trudeau is also about to launch negotiations with provincial premiers to increase federal health spending.
The NDP say they plan to push the Liberals to fulfil the terms of their agreement, such as the planned expansion of federal dental care, while the Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre will focus on trying to get the government to rein in its spending.
NDP to call for emergency debate in House of Commons over private health care
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will call on the House of Commons to hold an emergency debate on the privatization of health care.
Singh spent some of that time away holding round table discussions on health care in British Columbia to discuss emergency room overcrowding and worker shortages.
Singh says health care is already understaffed and he believes for-profit facilities will poach doctors and nurses away from hospitals.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government announced earlier this month that it’s moving some procedures to publicly funded, private facilities to address a growing surgery waitlist, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan have already made similar moves.
“Health care is already dramatically understaffed, and for-profit facilities will poach doctors and nurses _ cannibalizing hospitals, forcing people to wait longer in pain and wracked with anxiety,” Singh said in a statement to The Canadian Press.
The NDP say they’re also concerned that private facilities will upsell patients for brands and services not covered by the province, and tack on extra fees and services.
On Saturday Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said his Liberal government will ensure people don’t use their credit cards for health-care services and health care will remain universally public.
If Singh’s request for an emergency debate is granted it could go ahead as early as Monday evening.
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