Briefly

Throne Speech: Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper opened the 44th Parliament by vowing not to cut Canada Health Transfer payments to provinces in an attempt to constrain spending in a recession. “Our government will ensure that the provinces receive the general transfer payments planned for health care and social programs,” Harper stated in the Speech from the Throne on Nov. 19, 2008. The Canada Health Transfer for fiscal year 2007/08 was $34.88 billion ($21.47 billion cash and $13.4 billion in tax points). Under the agreed upon annual “escalator” clause, it rose to $36.49 billion for 2008/09, including $22.62 billion cash. Harper also vowed to introduce “creative measures to tackle major heart, lung and neurological diseases,” as well as move with legislation “providing better oversight of food, drug and consumer products.”

Editor's competing interest: CMAJ Editor-in-chief, Dr. Paul Hébert, has taken a part-time role to lead the National Strategy on Patient-Oriented Research at the Canadian Institute of Health Research. The aim of this initiative is to set up a new patient-oriented clinical research program in Canada. During the course of this contract, Hébert will recuse himself from vetting or editing any journal articles that refer to the Canadian Institute of Health Research. (Hébert's full competing interest statement is available online at www.cmaj.ca/misc/edboard.shtml)