More precisely, the Department of Health Act assigned responsibility to the Minister of Health to oversee "the promotion and preservation of the physical, mental and social well-being of the people of Canada."456 This was interpreted as limiting the Minister to broad programs that promote and preserve mental and social well-being; monitoring mental health conditions or programs; conducting research and/or investigating mental health among other public health issues; and collecting and publishing statistics on mental health.
Ainsi, il allait dorénavant incomber aux provinces de décider elles-mêmes de la façon de répartir leur financement de base entre les soins de santé, l’enseignement postsecondaire et les programmes sociaux.455 La loi portant création de Santé Canada adoptée en 1996 donnait au ministre de la Santé une orientation générale concernant les questions touchant la santé nationale.