Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced the one-time top-up to "expedite" surgeries on March 25, and he and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland introduced a bill in the House of Commons the same day to enable the funding.
As part of a confidence and supply deal with the NDP to avoid an election until 2025, the Liberals pledged to launch a federal dental-care program for low- and middle-income kids before the end of the year and aim to expand its eligibility over the next several years.
It's been eight months since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to meet with the premiers to address their request for stable, long-term health-care funding, and that meeting is overdue, Horgan told a news conference at the start of the final day of the premiers' Council of the Federation gathering in Victoria.
A wide-ranging survey by Leger asked Canadians and Americans about issues including travel plans, airport delays and inflation. More than 80 per cent of Canadian respondents said they believe prices will keep going up, and 59 per cent say they think Canada is in an economic recession.
B.C. Premier John Horgan, who chairs the Council of the Federation comprising all the premiers, said the health-care system needs to be reimagined with a plan for sustainable human resources and stable federal funding.
The statement says the detachment is "actively investigating" the July 12, 2021, collapse that killed five people, including four workers and a man who was in a nearby building.