Canada’s premiers have placed the federal government on notice that they want a new deal on health care.

That was the angry message presented Tuesday afternoon at the conclusion of the Council of Federation summer meeting in Victoria.

Premier Sandy Silver was one of them endorsing that message, although he attempted to strike a more conciliatory approach than many of his colleagues – particularly as reporters posed some direct questions on the subject.

First elected in 2016, Silver is the longest-serving premier in Canada, after much changeover in the political scene, particularly following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

B.C. Premier John Horgan, who hosted the meeting, was one of the most frustrated and angry of the premiers on the subject.

“You got nowhere on health care,” said one of the first reporters to speak Tuesday. “Are you disappointed with that?”

A second reporter pointed out, “You failed to get the federal government to the table.”

Those questions riled Horgan, who last month announced his pending retirement from politics after a bout with throat cancer.

“It’s just not acceptable,” Horgan thundered of the apparent intransigence of the federal government. “There’s been an opportunity to talk about this for eight months.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford added, “It’s insulting to Canadians and the 13 premiers.”

In contrast, Silver was more placid, saying, “We just want to get to the table to discuss this.

“The public is looking to us to find solutions on this,” he added. “We need to know exactly when we can get to the table to give some hope to people who are on their last strings.”

After the meeting, Silver spoke to the Star about the conference.

“We had some progressive conversations about health care around the table,” he said. “There are frustrations for sure.”

Silver said the premiers heard some “heart-breaking stories” from front-line health care workers.

“We need to prioritize these people. We’re at a critical point for health care.”

He added, “We need to have a commitment from the federal government on this. We’ve been told we had to wait on a number of things. Elections, including in Ontario (last month), was one of them.

“We’ve waited, then we’ve had radio silence from the federal government.”

Silver said he had some thoughts on why federal officials are ignoring request to negotiate with the premiers, but he added he would “prefer not to speculate.

“We’d love to have that conversation with them.”

At the most basic level, the premiers are seeking a new formula to pay for health care.

Currently, the provinces, which are constitutionally responsible for all health care, pay 78 per cent of the cost, while the federal government picks up the rest of the tab.

The premiers want a significant reallocation of that distribution, citing the rising cost of medical services, but that needs to be negotiated.

Silver also led a discussion on the importance of Arctic sovereignty and security on a national level, and its fundamental importance to northern communities and all Canadians.

According to a news release from the Yukon government, “Building on previous discussions held at the Northern Premiers’ Forum and Western Premiers’ Conference earlier this year, all 13 premiers agreed on the importance of strengthening Arctic sovereignty and security and the need for the federal government to provide new funding to support sovereignty in Canada’s North.

“The Government of Yukon continues to work in collaboration with other provinces and territories to ensure northerners have the tools and resources needed to support their health, communities and cultures,” the statement said.

“Our country is dealing with a number of challenges that need to be addressed collaboratively, from health care and labour supply, including health care providers, to climate change, energy security and Arctic sovereignty,” Silver said.

“As the longest-serving premier, I am encouraged by how Canada’s premiers from across the political spectrum are working closely together to address these urgent issues that are vital to our country and the well-being of all Canadians.”

It was the first in-person meeting of the premiers in more than two years.

The leaders issued a communiqué about health care following the meeting.

“Canadians should be able to receive the tests, procedures and health services they need when they need them,” it said.

“Premiers are committed to ensuring access to high-quality and timely health services, and reiterate their unanimous call for the federal government to increase its share of provincial-territorial health care costs from 22 per cent to 35 per cent through the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) and to maintain it at this level over time.

“Resolving this structural funding shortfall would allow provinces and territories to address their diverse needs and accelerate progress in delivering better access to care for Canadians,” the communiqué said.

“That’s why premiers have asked repeatedly to meet with the prime minister to put health care on a sustainable path. They repeat their urgent call for a first ministers’ meeting to resolve this issue,” the communiqué stated.