open letter to premiers - Registered Nurses` Association of Ontario

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OPEN LETTER TO PREMIERS
As strong supporters of public health care, we are deeply concerned that the federal government
led by Stephen Harper appears to have no intention of engaging the provincial and territorial
governments to secure a new 10-year Health Accord when the current one expires in 2014.
Public health care reflects our fundamental values of equity and fairness. Protecting and
improving our public health care system is a top priority for Canadians. Yet, the federal
government is retreating from supporting and upholding public Medicare. It has downloaded
costs and responsibilities and abandoned its essential federal role in encouraging innovations like
curtailing the cost of drugs and expanding the principles of medicare to cover home and
continuing care.
The federal share of funding for health care, already low, will decline by $36 billion in coming
years. Ottawa plans to leave the risks and the pressures to provinces and territories to deal with
on their own. In addition, the Harper government has also cut health care for refugees, RCMP,
veterans’ long term care beds, and terminated the Health Council of Canada.
On July 24th-25th, at your meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake of the Council of the Federation, you
have the opportunity to take a stand for public Medicare and call the Harper government back to
the intergovernmental table in order to work together for the necessary changes to ensure
universal access to quality care for generations to come.
Know that you have overwhelming public support to advocate in the strongest terms possible for
federal leadership on health care and a renewed Health Accord.
Sincerely,
Adrianna Tetley, Association of Ontario Health Centres
Ben McDonald, Alternatives North
Bob Linton, United Food and Commercial Workers Canada
Bonnie Pearson, Hospital Employees’ Union
Carol Ritchie, Brant Region of the Council of Canadians
Colleen Fuller, PharmaWatch
Dave Coles, Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada
Debbie Forward, RN, Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses’ Union
Debra McPherson, President, British Columbia Nurses’ Union
Doris Grinspun, RN, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario
Elaine Hughes, Quill Plains Chapter of the Council of Canadians
Heather Smith, RN, United Nurses of Alberta
Ian Johnson, Nova Scotia Citizens Health Care Network
Jacques Benoit, Coalition solidarité santé
James Clancy, National Union of Public and General Employees
Janet Hazelton, RN, Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union
Janet Maher, Medical Reform Group
Jaspreet Kaur Dulku, Students for Medicare
Joel Lexchin, MD, York University School of Health Policy and Management
John Bishop, Positive Living BC
Kathie Woodley, Comox Valley Chapter of the Council of Canadians
Kathleen Connors, RN, Health Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador
Ken Lewenza, Canadian Auto Workers
Ken Neumann, United Steelworkers
Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN, Ontario Nurses’ Association
Linda Silas, RN, Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions
Marianne Else, Simcoe Chapter of the Council of Canadians
Marilyn Quinn, RN, New Brunswick Nurses Union
Mary Boyd, PEI Health Coalition
Mary Clarke, Health Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador
Mona O’Shea, RN, Prince Edward Island Nurses’ Union
Monika Dutt, MD, Canadian Doctors for Medicare
Nathlie Mehra, Ontario Health Coalition
Pat Armstrong, PhD, Distinguished York University Research Professor of Sociology
Pat Kerwin, Congress of Union Retirees of Canada
Paul Moist, Canadian Union of Public Employees
Paula Doucet Jones, RN, New Brunswick Nurses Union
Pauline Worsfold, RN, Chair, Canadian Health Coalition
Penny Tilby, Vancouver/Burnaby Chapter of the Council of Canadians
Rachel Bard, RN, Canadian Nurses Association
Ritika Goel, MD, Medical Reform Group
Rhonda Seidman-Carlson, Registered Nurses' association of Ontario
Roger Hutchinson, United Church of Canada
Sandi Mowat, RN, Manitoba Nurses Union
Sandra Azocar, Friends of Medicare Alberta
Scotte Wolfe, Canadian Association of Community Health Centres
Sharleen Stewart, Service Employees International Union
Stan Rice, Saskatchewan Health Coalition
Tracy Zambory, RN, Saskatchewan Union of Nurses
LETTRE OUVERTE AUX PREMIERS MINISTRES
En tant que farouches défenseurs du régime public de soins de santé, nous sommes
profondément préoccupés du fait que le gouvernement fédéral dirigé par Stephen Harper n’a
aucune intention de mobiliser les gouvernements provinciaux et le gouvernement fédéral en vue
de garantir un nouvel accord sur la santé d’une durée de 10 ans lorsque l’accord actuel viendra à
échéance en 2014.
Le régime public de soins de santé reflète nos valeurs fondamentales d’équité et de justice. La
protection et l’amélioration de notre régime public de soins de santé est une priorité pour les
Canadiens. Pourtant, le gouvernement fédéral se retire du soutien et du maintien du régime
public d’assurance maladie. Il a transféré à d’autres les coûts et les responsabilités tout en
abandonnant le rôle essentiel du gouvernement fédéral d’encourager des innovations permettant
de réduire les coûts des médicaments et d’étendre les principes de l’assurance maladie afin de
couvrir les soins à domicile et les soins continus.
La part du fédéral dans le financement des soins de santé, déjà faible, va diminuer de 36
milliards de dollars au courant des prochaines années. Ottawa prévoit laisser les risques et les
pressions aux provinces et aux territoires pour qu’ils s’en occupent eux-mêmes. En outre, le
gouvernement Harper a aussi coupé les soins de santé aux réfugiés, à la GRC, aux soins de
longue durée aux vétérans dans les hôpitaux, ainsi que le financement du Conseil de la santé du
Canada.
Les 24 et 25 juillet, pendant votre réunion du Conseil de la fédération à Niagara-on-the-Lake,
vous avez une occasion de prendre position pour le régime public d’assurance maladie et de
demander au gouvernement Harper de revenir à la table intergouvernementale afin de collaborer
avec vous aux changements nécessaires en vue d’assurer un accès universel aux soins de qualité
pour les générations à venir.
Sachez que vous avez un appui écrasant du public pour défendre de la manière la plus forte que
possible un leadership fédéral en matière de soins de santé et pour renouveler l’Accord sur la
santé.
Sincèrement,
Adrianna Tetley, Association of Ontario Health Centres
Ben McDonald, Alternatives North
Bob Linton, United Food and Commercial Workers Canada
Bonnie Pearson, Hospital Employees’ Union
Carol Ritchie, Brant Region of the Council of Canadians
Colleen Fuller, PharmaWatch
Dave Coles, Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada
Debbie Forward, RN, Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses’ Union
Debra McPherson, President, British Columbia Nurses’ Union
Doris Grinspun, RN, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario
Elaine Hughes, Quill Plains Chapter of the Council of Canadians
Heather Smith, RN, United Nurses of Alberta
Ian Johnson, Nova Scotia Citizens Health Care Network
Jacques Benoit, Coalition solidarité santé
James Clancy, National Union of Public and General Employees
Janet Hazelton, RN, Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union
Janet Maher, Medical Reform Group
Jaspreet Kaur Dulku, Students for Medicare
Joel Lexchin, MD, York University School of Health Policy and Management
John Bishop, Positive Living BC
Kathie Woodley, Comox Valley Chapter of the Council of Canadians
Kathleen Connors, RN, Health Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador
Ken Lewenza, Canadian Auto Workers
Ken Neumann, United Steelworkers
Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN, Ontario Nurses’ Association
Linda Silas, RN, Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions
Marianne Else, Simcoe Chapter of the Council of Canadians
Marilyn Quinn, RN, New Brunswick Nurses Union
Mary Boyd, PEI Health Coalition
Mary Clarke, Health Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador
Mona O’Shea, RN, Prince Edward Island Nurses’ Union
Monika Dutt, MD, Canadian Doctors for Medicare
Nathlie Mehra, Ontario Health Coalition
Pat Armstrong, PhD, Distinguished York University Research Professor of Sociology
Pat Kerwin, Congress of Union Retirees of Canada
Paul Moist, Canadian Union of Public Employees
Paula Doucet Jones, RN, New Brunswick Nurses Union
Pauline Worsfold, RN, Chair, Canadian Health Coalition
Penny Tilby, Vancouver/Burnaby Chapter of the Council of Canadians
Rachel Bard, RN, Canadian Nurses Association
Ritika Goel, MD, Medical Reform Group
Rhonda Seidman-Carlson, Registered Nurses' association of Ontario
Roger Hutchinson, United Church of Canada
Sandi Mowat, RN, Manitoba Nurses Union
Sandra Azocar, Friends of Medicare Alberta
Scotte Wolfe, Canadian Association of Community Health Centres
Sharleen Stewart, Service Employees International Union
Stan Rice, Saskatchewan Health Coalition
Tracy Zambory, RN, Saskatchewan Union of Nurses