Health and Social Programs
Health
Social Programs
Housing
Health
In partnership with provincial and territorial governments, Health Canada
helps to develop health policy, fund the health system, enforce health
regulations, promote disease prevention and healthy living. Health Canada also
ensures that health services are available to First Nations and Inuit
communities.
The provincial and territorial governments are responsible for the delivery
of health care and hospital services.
For more information on federal investment in health, you may consult another
section of this site, Financial
Framework of the Federation.
The federal, provincial and territorial health ministers hold an annual
conference, generally in September, and also meet at other times throughout the
year to discuss specific issues. They also maintain contact through
correspondence, conference calls and bilateral meetings. In addition, health has
often been discussed at premiers' and first ministers' meetings in recent years.
- Some examples of specific partnerships:
Social Programs
The primary objective of Canada's social programs is to support Canadians in
need, but also to help citizens find good jobs, thus enabling them to
participate in the economic activity of the country.
The social security system comprises numerous federal and provincial
programs, in which the federal, provincial and territorial governments work
together to meet the needs of Canadians. Here are some examples of
collaboration:
- Social Union Framework Agreement (SUFA):
- Children:
- Persons with disabilities:
- Seniors:
- Federal-provincial-territorial meetings of ministers responsible
for seniors:
- National
website launched for seniors (database on policies and programs that
benefit seniors) (January 27, 2000)
- Canada Pension Plan:
- Forums for cooperation:
- Federal-provincial-territorial meetings of ministers responsible
for social policies:
The federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for
social services meet once a year. They work together to put in place
concerted policies and programs to meet the needs of Canadians in such
areas as child assistance and assistance for low-income families and
delivery of services to persons with disabilities.
- Council of federal, provincial and territorial ministers on social
policy renewal:
Housing
Housing is another area in which the Government of Canada works in
cooperation with the provincial and territorial governments. In the
1996 Throne Speech and the subsequent federal Budget, the Government of
Canada announced that it was prepared to offer the provinces and territories the
opportunity to manage existing social housing resources, provided that federal
subsidies on existing housing continue to be used for housing assistance for
low-income households. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has
consequently phased out its remaining role in social housing, except for housing
on Indian reserves. On-reserve, the Government of Canada is continuing to fund
new commitments and to administer past ones.
Nine long-term bilateral agreements have since been concluded, under which
the Government of Canada provides approximately $1.9 billion in subsidies
to the provinces and territories.
Under the agreements, the Government of Canada provides the provinces and
territories with the funding earmarked for each year remaining in the social
housing commitments undertaken in each province. (These commitments will
terminate in a staggered fashion over the next 50 years.) The provinces and
territories must comply with a determined responsibility framework and national
principles governing the use of federal funding.
- Affordable housing:
In its 2000 Budget, the Government of Canada made a commitment to
strengthen federal, provincial and municipal infrastructure, including
affordable housing and green infrastructure, in cities and rural communities
across Canada.
Federal-provincial-territorial ministers responsible for housing met in
September 2000 and agreed to resume regular meetings and to cooperate closely in
several key areas.
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