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en 18 - PORT PERRY STAR, Tuesday, December 4, 2001 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" £3 £3 Unless Ottawa pays its fair share for health care, You deserve the best healthcare system in the world. Unfortunately, you won't get it unless the federal government starts pulling its weight. The sad truth is that the single greatest threat to universal health care in this country is the fact that the federal government refuses to pay its fair share. It used to be a 50/50 partnership between Ottawa and the provinces. Now they pay just 14 cents out of every dollar -- and it's getting worse. In Ontario, like other provinces, we've made health care our top funding priority. Since 1995, we've increased spending by $6.8 billion - $6 billion of which has gone to health care. But federal transfers to the provinces for health and social services this year will be $400 million lower than in 1994. Not a single new dollar has been earmarked for health care. Health care is your number one pgority. Isn't it time it was the federal government's, too? the prognosis isn't good. 9 Federal Government total spending increase vs. lack of commitment to healthcare Total spending 7 [ICRI $8.3 Billion Health transfers 3 are still 2 $400 million 1- lower than in 1994-95 If Ottawa won't pay its fair share, our healthcare system will suffer. Plainly put, if our healthcare system is to meet the demands of a population that's growing and aging -- and if it is to offer us the life-saving advances we deserye -- the federal government must start paying its fair share. If it doesn't, the provinces will have difficult choices to make. With its huge budget surplus, Ottawa can afford to do the right thing. It's only fair that the federal government spend some of its $17 billion surplus on safeguarding your health. After all, it's your money (and over- payment.of taxes) that created the surplus. The federal government must make healthcare funding their number one priority. The upcoming federal budget must include a measured plan to raise federal funding of health care from its current level to the 18% level Ottawa used to provide just a few years ago. Send a message to the Prime Minister. Call 1-888-668-4636. Tell him that health care is your number one concern. Urge him to make health care Ottawa's number one funding priority. Otherwise, the prognosis isn't good. We need Ottawa to work with us for a healthier Ontario. Ontario