Canadian Health Coalition – Day of Action – March 31 against devastating federal cuts to our health care system.
The Federal-Provincial Health Accord expires Monday and the federal government has repeatedly refused to meet with the premiers to sign a new Accord. Instead, the Conservatives plan to chop $36 billion from our public health care system.
The March 31 Day of Action also marks the launch of CUPE and the Council of Canadians will target 10 Conservative MPs on public health care on March 31. At stake is our public health care system – the Conservatives are removing funding as a first step in attacking the system with increased privatization and the creation of two-tiered access for Canadians.
Kelowna – Rally at MP Ron Cannan’s office, Capri Mall, 114-1835 Gordon Dr., Kelowna, 12-12:30PM. Contact: Ken Robinson at 604-838-3844 or krobinson@heu.org
Princeton — Community rally at noon at Princeton’s Veterans Square. Show your support for public health care by bringing red umbrellas to the rally. Contact: Ed Staples, Support Our Health Care (SOHC), edwardstaples8@gmail.com, 250-295-0822
CUPE news release
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Minister of Health
My constituents are very concerned about the future of health care in our country. They are asking the federal government to commit to a renewed Health Accord in 2014 and to work with the provinces and territories on health care innovation so Canadians can continue to receive the care they need.
Health care is a priority for Canadians. It is simply not acceptable that the existing Health Accord is being allowed to expire. Instead of negotiating a new agreement, the government is taking steps to undermine our public healthcare system by unilaterally cutting $36 billion in federal health funding to the provinces.
Downloading health costs to the provinces will lead inevitably to disparity in care standards from province to province, including longer wait times, reduced services and limited access to long-term care.
All Canadians, wherever they live, deserve equal access to affordable medications; primary care clinics with doctors, nurses and allied health professionals; and continuing care across their lifespan.
To ensure that Canadians receive the quality of health care they deserve, I respectfully urge you to work with the Premiers to develop a 2014 Health Accord and invest for the long-term in an improved universal health care system.
Alex Atamanenko, MP BC Southern Interior