Flaherty tells the provinces ‘take it or leave it’ on health care funding

Well I feel better now, knowing that provincial governments have now joined the ranks of the scorned and disenfranchised. Unions now have some company. That whole no negotiation this is what you’re getting thing has been the hallmark of Tory policy dealing with those-who-are-not-us since the beginning.

And now the provinces are told they’ll be getting less money for health care – or translated into Talking Point – more autonomy to reshape health care.

The Globe article cited above largely reflects their stunningly enthusiastic editorial endorsement of Flaherty’s straight-arm to the provinces.

But here’s the thing. The good years – the ones where health care spending is growing steady – are now. A while from now, it’s to be dependent on the economy (unlike corporate tax cuts which are a given in good times and bad).

And it’s always along those time lines that they talk about putting more resources into pharmacare and home care (expand home care and pharmacare for the 21st century in Talking Point).

It reminds me of that old Dick Gaughan song, Fifty Years from Now.