On December 19th, an online meeting of the Council of Atlantic Premiers was hosted by the Chair, Premier Tim Houston of Nova Scotia, with Premiers Blaine Higgs of New Brunswick, Dennis King of Prince Edward Island, and Andrew Furey of Newfoundland and Labrador.
According to the statement released by the Council, the main agenda of this meeting was to discuss healthcare systems, labour shortages and the rising cost of living.
The Council highlighted the need for a discussion with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about an increase in the Canada Health Transfer (CHT). The federal transfer provides provinces with funding for health care. These measures will help recruit and retain healthcare professionals through the Atlantic Health Accord by allowing workers to practice in different provinces. The Atlantic Health Accord was created to enable collaboration in the construction and application of healthcare policies for the provinces of Atlantic Canada.
In recent initiatives from the NL Government relating to the shortage of healthcare workers in the province, a team was sent to nursing schools in various cities in India to study their educational programs and inform students about career opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador.
According to quotes released by the government, Premier Furey commented, “With urgency and purpose, our advance team is on-the-ground in India and has already begun meeting with senior leadership, administrators and students at prestigious nursing institutions. Government of Newfoundland and Labrador officials, together with the College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador, are breaking new ground together as we work to fill nursing positions in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Nova Scotia will create an orientation program to welcome internationally trained doctors into the community. Meanwhile, the University of New Brunswick is constructing a new Health and Social Innovation Centre in Saint John. This will serve as a research facility and a centre for the undergraduate health program.
To address the labour shortage, the Council supported increasing immigration targets and steps to improve document processing times for international/interprovincial immigrants. Measures to deal with the rising cost of living were also discussed, along with the impact of federal carbon pricing on Atlantic Canadians.
The Premiers also encouraged the development of clean energy from hydro, wind, small modular reactors and hydrogen in the four provinces, supporting the employment opportunities these projects would bring.
In 2023, Premier of Prince Edward Island Dennis King will serve as Chair of the Council of Atlantic Premiers.