Ontario's Ministry of Health is arguing in arbitration with the Ontario Medical Association that recruitment and retention of doctors is not a major concern.
The province is in the midst of negotiations with the O-M-A for the next four-year Physician Services Agreement, which determines how doctors are compensated.
But one doctor involved says the talks are going so poorly that an arbitrator is now being asked to determine compensation levels for the first year.
Dr. David Barber, the chair of the O-M-A's Section on General and Family Practice, says the government's arguments are insulting.
The ministry is proposing a three per cent increase, while the O-M-A is proposing five per cent, as well as a a 10.2 per cent catch up partly to account for inflation, as well as 7.7 per cent to be directed to various health system programs.
The ministry argues there is no concern about a diminished supply of doctors, as Ontario has seen growth in physicians that far outstrips population growth.
The O-M-A says there are 2.3-million Ontario residents without a family doctor and data from government agency Health Force Ontario shows more than three-thousand physician job vacancies.