Health care is the priority, but several issues require attention at premier's summit

As chair of the forum for Canada’s premiers, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston set the table for a two-day discussion on the very same topic but says there's room for discussions on several other issues.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston was largely elected on his campaign promise to fix the health-care system.

Now as chair of the forum for Canada’s premiers, he’ll set the table for a two-day discussion on the very same topic but says there's room for discussions on several other issues.

"Getting the Council of the Federation together, and having the premiers here is to learn from each other to share ideas, what's working and what's not working," said Houston.

One health-care idea Houston floated was to stop interprovincial recruitment of health-care professionals, he asked his government to stop doing it.

“I just think there are better ways to recruit," said Houston. "It's a big world out there."

Political scientist and Cape Breton University professor Tom Urbaniak says a pan-Canadian health-care recruitment program could be developed to address issues like health-care worker shortages across the country but as for stopping cross-provincial recruitment, it could be a hard bargain.

“I’m not sure that gesture is going to be reciprocated by most of his colleagues," said Urbaniak, saying he thinks Houston might change his tune on recruitment.