OLIVER PAIPOONGE – Federal Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu called it offensive that Ontario is expecting federal funding for a much-needed new hospital in Kenora because of the area's large Indigenous population.
Ontario's Minister of Indigenous Affairs, Greg Rickford, suggested on April 4 that the large population of Indigenous people warranted a federal contribution to the project.
"Where are the feds? Right? Just like Sioux Lookout, these are hospitals that serve a critical mass of First Nations people,” he said.
Hajdu agreed that the federal government does have an important role to play in delivering health-care services to Indigenous people, particularly on reserve, but said she was surprised that the province is expecting federal funding because of the area's large Indigenous population.
“I was quite shocked that Ontario would not think that Indigenous Peoples – indeed all people of Northwestern Ontario – have the right to equal access to health care,” she said.
“To imply that because Kenora has a dense population of Indigenous people in some way means that the people of Kenora are not the responsibility of the provincial government, I think quite frankly that's misguided and offensive to Indigenous peoples."
She added that the province has the same responsibility to provide care to First Nations patients as to everyone else in Ontario.
Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh agreed that the federal government does have some responsibility for assistance with health care but he said he has some concerns about the substance of the provincial announcement.
“Doug Ford's government, when they announced it, they didn't announce a timeline. They didn't announce any money,” he said.
“It doesn't really sound like a real commitment. But in terms of the federal role in supporting infrastructure bills like hospitals - yes, the federal government should be stepping up to support the building of hospitals.”
Singh also stressed the importance of ensuring that Ontario hospitals remain public institutions.
“They should be public, they should be owned by the public. They should not be these public, private partnerships but owned by the community, owned by the people,” he said.
“And the federal government should step up and provide those investments for municipalities and regions who cannot do this on their own and require additional supports.”
