MEDIA RELEASE
Conservative health care platform is ‘dead on arrival’, say Canada’s nurses as they release their federal platform assessment
October 16, 2019 (OTTAWA, ON) – The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) has released an assessment of federal party platforms, comparing and scoring four major parties on their commitments to improving health care and access to prescription medications. The NDP, Greens and Liberals have all voiced support for universal pharmacare, while the Conservative Party’s slim health care offering resulted in the lowest scores. The complete analysis of the parties’ health care platforms is online at stoppretending.ca.
“Across the country, people are facing long wait times, hallway medicine and expensive prescriptions. The Conservative Party’s meager health care commitments would do nothing to improve a system that’s on life support,” said Linda Silas, president of the CFNU. “With three major parties supporting a national pharmacare program, voters have a historic opportunity to advance our public health care.”
The CFNU reviewed and assessed the New Democratic, Liberal, Conservative and Green parties’ platforms on five health care issues: pharmacare, seniors’ care, workplace violence and safe staffing, child care and federal health care funding. The platform assessment summarizes the results and is meant to serve as a guide for voters concerned about health care issues in the federal election.
“Throughout the election, Canada’s nurses have been demanding that all federal parties commit to critical health care upgrades, including universal pharmacare, safer health care and better care for our seniors,” said Silas. “We’ve carefully assessed the parties’ platforms down to the fine print to let voters know which parties will address the health care needs of Canadians.”
The CFNU is a non-partisan organization that has been actively promoting nurses’ national health care priorities in the federal election. Each political party was given equal opportunity to respond to nurses with details of their health care platforms.
“On October 21, I invite all Canadians to join nurses and vote for better health care and universal pharmacare,” 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:
Ben René, CFNU Communications Officer, 613-406-5962 (mobile), brene@nursesunions.ca