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By Mark Kennedy

OTTAWA — Former prime minister Paul Martin says much-needed reforms to the health-care system that were supposed to stem from a 2004 deal he struck with the provinces never occurred.

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In an exclusive interview with Postmedia News, Martin said the provinces didn’t fully meet their end of the bargain for receiving billions in federal cash. But he blames Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, which he said refused to meet with the provinces to discuss reforms upon winning power from the Liberals in 2006.

“I made that deal with each of the provincial premiers and leaders,” said Martin.

“That was man to man. The new government came in, the Conservative government came in, and they essentially said, ‘Health care is not our issue.’ And they refused to meet.”

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Martin said that, as a result, “we wasted all that time” and the country is several years behind in making progress on medicare reform.