The CHST was announced in the 1995 federal budget. It was the beginning of a new era in social services delivery in Canada. The Canada Assistance Plan (CAP) and and the Established Programs Finance (EPF) Program was revampted and combined under the name of the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST.) This announcement has meant profound changes to both the standards for the programs and levels of the federal fiscal transfers to the provinces. Immediate cuts totalling $7 billion in the first two years were also part of the announcement.

Now it is the Social Union that that is affecting social policy. Read Keith Banting's article at http://www.irpp.org/archive/policyop/nov98/banting.pdf