Prince George, B.C.- The Western Premiers are calling for the Federal Government to  do more when it comes to health care funding.The Federal formula for Health care funding was changed by the Harper Government    and  Ottawa now provides about 17% .  Previously it was 25%,  and Premier Christy Clark  says the Federal share has to increase “The Federal Government needs to come back to being a full partner in Health Care in  Canada,  especially as the population ages.  Without the  Federal Government at the table, it’s going to be really difficult   to make sure we can  continue to support this universal health care system  that is the envy of the world and the Federal Government has to be a bigger part of that they have been or that the current funding formula  will allow them to be.”

Other issues  discussed at the Western Premiers conference include resource development.  “We need as Canadians, not just diversified   economies,  we need to have  diverse markets for our goods  if  we want to get the  best price  for Canadians and that means  getting those resources to market” says Clark.  The Western Premiers re-iterated  the need for the Federal Government to  invest in  infrastructure that will get  those resources to ports where they can be shipped to  Asian markets,  that means improvements in road, rail and ports.

Clark  says the situation  in Ft. McMurray is  catching the attention of  international investors,  as the Bank of Montreal  has now  downgraded Canada’s growth  prediction for 2016 from 1.5%  to zero.  “They are watching what’s happening in Fort Mac,  recognizing the impact that’s going to have on the resource economy  in this country and lowering our expectation for growth  as a country as a result.  If any Canadian  listening today doubts how important Western Canada’s  natural resources are to this country,  they should pay attention  to that fact.  As Fort McMurray burns, and as the   economic infrastructure that has  so long supported Canadians is threatened, international  observers are suggesting that our economic growth is going to   suffer disastrously as a result, and I think  that  puts the  finest point possible  on why Western Premiers are so focused on making sure that we have   investment in our resource ecomomy, that we have investment in our infrastructure to get our  goods  to market and that we open up  opportunities overseas including TPP and individual trade agreements  with India, China and Japan as  priorities because these resources matter to every single Canadian no  matter where you live.”