Thursday evening’s weekly call between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the premiers was marked by testy exchanges over the federal government’s pledge of $14 billion to help provinces reopen their economies and the future of the military in Quebec’s long-term care facilities, according to sources with knowledge of the call.
Thursday evening’s weekly call between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the premiers was marked by testy exchanges over the federal government’s pledge of $14 billion to help provinces reopen their economies and the future of the military in Quebec’s long-term care facilities, according to federal and provincial sources with knowledge of the call.
The premiers said they were grateful for the money but argued that it isn’t enough to meet their needs and comes with too many strings attached.
The sources — who spoke to CBC News under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly share details of the conversation — said the premiers told Trudeau they want the freedom to set their own priorities for the money.
When Trudeau announced the $14 billion on June 5, he said it would be earmarked for specific measures to help provinces reopen their economies safely.
Those measures include the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare workers and businesses. The money is also being earmarked to support childcare services, increase assistance for the elderly, fund ten days of sick pay for workers without benefits, help municipalities fund transit and community programs and shore up health care systems in the short term.
The sources said Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s primary complaint was that the $14 billion was not enough to meet his province’s needs, while Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister called for a broader conversation about increasing health transfers to the provinces.
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