Brockville - Gord Brown, Member of Parliament for Leeds-Grenville, today supported the announcement by the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, about a major new investment in health care.

“Our Government is committed to a publicly funded, universally accessible health care system,” says Brown. “Since forming Government, we have increased funding for health care to record levels from $19 billion a year when we first formed Government to nearly $27 billion this year.”

On Monday the government announced a major new investment in health care that will see funding for health care continue to increase to record levels.

Under the new investment, health care funding will increase from $30B per year in 2013-2014 to more than $38B per year in 2018-2019

Total funding for health care over that five year period will be at least $178B.

“We all use the health care system. Our families use it. Our friends use it. We want to see a strong, sustainable health care system in Canada that is there when you need it,” comments Brown.

“This announcement will provide certainty to the provinces, and it matches the growth estimates of those provinces that have provided estimates. They can now budget with the knowledge that the federal investment will be available to them,” he notes.

This new investment means federal support for health care will continue to increase to record levels in a way that is balanced and sustainable. And, it will help preserve Canada’s health care system over the long-term so it is there when Canadians need it, he adds.

Funding for health care will increase at six per cent per year for the next five years and then increase in line with nominal GDP growth after that.

“With our new investment, funding for health care is guaranteed to increase by at least three per cent per year but, based on forecasts, we expect growth to be in the 4-4.5% range.

Ontario will receive record high support through major federal transfers in 2012-13 totaling $19.2 billion – an increase of nearly $8.4 billion (or 77%) from under the old Liberal government, including: over $3.2 billion through Equalization; nearly $11.4 billion through the Canada Health Transfer, an increase of over $3.6 billion (or 48%) from under the Liberals; $4.6 billion through the Canada Social Transfer, an increase of over $1.4 billion (or 45%) since the Liberals.

This long-term support helps ensure Ontario has the resources needed to provide essential public services including health care, post-secondary education and other social services, says Brown.