Alberta Pulling Out of Federal Dental Plan, Smith Tells Trudeau

Ottawa is infringing on provincial jurisdiction with its federal dental plan—and Alberta wants no part of it, Premier Danielle Smith has announced in a letter to the prime minister. Health-care planning and delivery is an area of provincial jurisdiction and the Canadian Dental Care Plan infringes on that right, Ms. Smith wrote in a June 25 letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “If a new health program was to be developed by the federal government it should be done in full collaboration with provinces and territories and discussions should have occurred before these intentions [were] announced,” Ms. Smith wrote. “Unfortunately this did not occur. Alberta intends to opt out of the federal plan and maintain its provincial programs for Albertans.” ...