September 23, 2020 (Ottawa, ON) – The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions is encouraged by the government’s commitment to a healthy recovery in today’s Speech from the Throne. It encourages all parliamentarians to support the government’s recovery agenda.
“Nurses across the country welcome the government’s commitments for this new session of parliament, including important steps toward implementing universal public pharmacare, developing national standards for long-term care and building further domestic capacity to manufacture personal protective equipment,” said Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions.
As the impacts of COVID-19 continue to be felt from coast to coast to coast, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions has joined with the Canadian Labour Congress and other civil society organizations to call for government measures that ensure no one is left behind.
“We must build up the social infrastructure of this country to better be able to weather future storms, be it further waves of COVID-19, or the inevitable ongoing effects of climate change,” said Silas. “Strong public programs such as pharmacare, long-term care and child care are essential to creating a sustainable and resilient Canada in the face of unprecedented mounting challenges.”
With progressive commitments in the Speech from the Throne, ranging from tackling systemic racism to investing in green jobs and infrastructure, to creating an action plan for women in the economy, to making sure income support is available on an ongoing basis to those who need it, Canada’s nurses are eager to work with this government on building back stronger than ever in the months ahead.
“I am ready to roll up my sleeves and work closely with this government and the opposition parties on developing long-awaited public programs, such as universal public pharmacare and national child care. For the economy to bounce back, we need to prioritize the health and well‑being of the individuals, families, and workers on which it depends,” concluded Silas.
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The CFNU is Canada’s largest nurses’ organization, representing nearly 200,000 nurses and student nurses, and advocating on key health priorities and federal engagement in public health care.
For more information, please contact:
Lauren Snowball, lsnowball@nursesunions.ca, 613-868-5702
Ben René, brene@nursesunions.ca, 613-406-5962