Premiers, PM must listen to Canadians on strengthening health care
Unconditional health transfers won’t solve problems of LTC abuses, nursing shortages or lack of access to primary care
With a new First Ministers’ Meeting date not yet set, Canada’s unions are calling on the Premiers and the Prime Minister to listen to the millions of Canadians demanding that new health care funding actually invests in strengthening our public health care systems.
The fall meeting of Canada’s 13 provincial and territorial Premiers at the Council of Federation was scheduled for today, October 5th, but was cancelled following the federal election.
“With the future of Canada’s cherished public health care hanging in the balance, a no-strings-attached approach is simply a non-starter for Canadians looking for quality care. People want governments to work together and invest in real solutions,” said Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress. “Canadians know you can’t just cut a blank cheque and then close your eyes and wish for an end to the devastating crisis in long-term care, better primary care access, an end to nursing shortages, or make much-needed medicines affordable for everyone.”
The Canadian Labour Congress campaigned during the recent election for an economic recovery that includes stronger, publicly delivered health care. For that to happen, all levels of government must work with health care workers and advocates to deliver improvements to existing public health care, implement universal pharmacare and take profits out of long-term care delivery.
“Canadians want LTC residents to be properly cared for. They want nurses and doctors in their community. They want faster access to testing and diagnostics,” said Bruske. “What they don’t want are governments being handed tens of billions in new funding that are then used for things like tax giveaways.”
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CLC Media Relations
media@clcctc.ca
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