Premier Houston Hosts Council of the Federation Fall Meeting, Health Summit
Canada’s premiers concluded their two-day meeting in Halifax today, November 6, united in their commitment to take action on the affordability challenges facing Canadians, along with the need to improve health services, tackle housing issues and strengthen strategic infrastructure.
“Improving the lives of Canadians requires all governments to work together in a spirit of genuine collaboration and these meetings reflect just how much provinces and territories have in common,” said Premier Tim Houston, who hosted the meeting as Chair of the Council of the Federation. “These past two days have enabled us to learn from one another, discuss ideas and solutions that Canadians are looking for and where we need to continue to press forward and do more.”
Climate change is a key concern for Canadians. Provinces and territories are taking action to address climate change and have made significant investments over time to meet the needs of their jurisdictions. Premiers expressed concern that federal actions around the federal carbon tax have treated Canadians differently and expect the federal government to support all Canadians fairly.
Premiers reiterated their call for a First Ministers’ meeting to discuss competitiveness and strategic infrastructure. They emphasized the need for predictable and flexible federal funding to support provincial and territorial governments in addressing the full spectrum of infrastructure challenges and priorities unique to their jurisdictions.
Premiers discussed the link between infrastructure and housing priorities and emphasized the critical need for collaboration between all levels of government with respect to addressing the housing crisis. They discussed their investments and policy/regulatory changes to support the availability and affordability of housing to meet labour market demand, address homelessness and welcome newcomers.
With healthcare a top priority across the country, premiers also held a dedicated summit focused on health innovation at the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub. Premiers expressed their deep appreciation for the work and dedication of all front-line healthcare workers and discussed actions being taken across the care continuum, including addressing wait times and access to primary care, mental health and substance use services, and recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals.
The communiques for the Council of the Federation meeting and health summit are available at: https://www.canadaspremiers.ca/newsroom/