UNA President Heather Smith comments on the provincial budget at the Legislature.
Alberta’s provincial budget holds no promises for fixing the capacity problems in health care.
The provincial budget announced on April 7 claims to have a 4.6% increase in health spending, but a closer look shows the province expects to overall spend less than it budgeted the previous year.
“The government is NOT making any serious effort to fix the capacity problems in health care,” says UNA President Heather Smith. “They say health care is a priority, but the reality is that this stand-still budget does not increase resources.”
Detailed budget numbers show a bare increase of 3.4% in Alberta Health Services funding. Overall, however, the full budget at $12.6 billion is less than spending is projected to be for 2008-2009.
“This is the budget today,” noted Heather Smith. “Health regions have been under-budgeted in past years and the government was forced to increase funding to provide these essential services.”
The government also began delisting medical services, starting with chiropractic care and sex change surgery.
Friends of Medicare executive director David Eggen said the delisting is an erosion of public medicare coverage. “What was medically necessary yesterday, isn’t today. What could be cut tomorrow?” he asked.
The government says money in Alberta Health Services capital bank accounts will be stretched to cover projects this year. Many new health projects may be put on hold, including the often-promised new Grande Prairie hospital and the Sherwood Park care centre.
“No stimulus” for the economy
“The government is out of step with the rest of the world,” said Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan. “Unlike nearly every other economy, there’s no meaningful stimulus in the budget that will help working Albertans keep their jobs.”
The government actually is looking to trim $215 million this year through “increasing government efficiency.” The cuts could rise to $2.2 billion next year if revenues continue to drop the government says.
Asking nurses to sacrifice more won’t fly
“The government has to look at many other options before it starts laying off the health care staff that citizens depend on,” says Heather Smith.
Finance Minister Iris Evans told reporters the government would have to consider expenditures through spending and job cuts if revenues do not improve.
“We can’t ask nurses and other health workers to bail out Alberta while the province still proudly proclaims the lowest taxes for corporations and wealthy investors,” Heather Smith said.
“Cutting salaries or staff will HURT our health care system again. It will make the shortage and line ups in health care even worse,” she said, reacting to government comments that cuts may be necessary.
Heather Smith says nurses remember well when they voluntarily took a 5% rollback in the mid-1990s to avoid layoffs only to be hit with province-wide layoffs anyway.
“Nurses won’t believe it, if they say rollbacks will save jobs,” she says.
“If that’s the direction they choose to pursue, we want to make it clear right now that they will have a big fight on their hands,” Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said.
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