Ottawa (16 Sept. 2021) — The federal election has been called and voter's will be going to the polls on Sept. 20. 

"While we may not have wanted this election now, we are here. And we need to take it seriously. There are huge stakes in electing a new government," said Larry Brown, President of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE). 

The pandemic has proven the critical importance of a strong public health care system. It has also exposed some structural issues in the system. Advocates have long been calling for increased federal investment in public health care and for an expansion of our system beyond doctors and hospitals.

“Today, and every day, NUPGE is committed to fighting for equal pay for equal work for our members — and for all workers — across the country.” — Bert Blundon, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer

“Canadians are ready for bold action — and they expect the same from their government. This poll shows that whoever forms the next government must answer the call to action and make sure that affected workers and communities are properly supported through the transition.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President

“We challenge all federal party leaders to think about how they would live on the financial aid currently available for people with disabilities. As a society, we failed to support people with disabilities prior to and during the pandemic: let’s not continue the pattern of failure into the future.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President

Only focusing on recovery and treatment is not enough. We need harm-reduction strategies like safe-consumption sites and a safe (non-poisonous) supply. The best way to stop the toxic drug supply is to give people pharmaceutical-grade alternatives, or give drug-checking technologies so that users can test, use, and share safely. We must also consider decriminalization.

The National Union of Public and General Employees condemns the anti-vaccination protests being conducted outside Canada’s hospitals and health care facilities. Those who have risked so much while working through the pandemic should not be the target of hateful attacks instigated by those seeking political gain.

Where parties stand on tax fairness is the real test of whether they really want to help low- and middle-income Canadians and reduce income inequality. Years of tax cuts that went largely to the wealthy and large corporations have failed to deliver the economic growth we were promised. Instead, those tax cuts led to income inequality and the underfunding of our public services. We will not have a fair recovery unless the federal government is willing to ensure that the wealthy and large corporations are paying their share. 

Over the last 19 months, we have witnessed a pandemic within a pandemic. Physical and social isolation, economic stress, and the uncertainty of dealing with an unprecedented global health crisis have created a perfect storm for increasing domestic violence. The lockdowns imposed by governments to help restrict the rate of infections have made it harder for domestic violence survivors to seek help.

"The need for a universal child care system has long been clear, and the pandemic made it more urgent than ever. We’ve seen growing public and political support during the pandemic. And today’s polling results show that voters are going to take this to the ballot box.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President

Despite promises to honour Indigenous sovereignty, there are serious flaws with the how the federal government relates to Indigenous people. Infrastructure projects are still being run through traditional and unceded territories, like the Coastal GasLink pipeline. Aggressive raids are being conducted by the RCMP, like on the peaceful Wet’suwet’en land defenders. Inaction by the current Liberal government allowed Mi’kmaw fishers to be verbally and physically harassed when the Sipekne’katik First Nation launched its treaty fishery. Political decisions have always come at the expense of Indigenous communities. 

"These are innocent bystanders who don’t make policy decisions. We owe hospital front line workers our respect and gratitude for risking their lives to take care of us in the last 18 months, not angry protests. And patients in need of care should not have to put up with this nonsense."— Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU President

Climate change is among the biggest challenges of our lifetime. We are seeing the worsening effects every day, including air and water pollution, more extreme weather events, displaced communities, food insecurity, and biodiversity loss. The science is clear: we need urgent action to minimize future impacts, to keep global warming to 1.5 °C, and to help our communities adapt to the effects. But there is reason for hope: it’s not too late to act. And there is an opportunity to build a fairer, more just world in the process. 

Much of the racism in Canada is systematic. It impacts BIPOC in all stages of life, from the quality of education they receive, to whether they can afford to go to post-secondary school, to the types of jobs they’re hired to do, and to where they can afford to live. We must ensure, that going forward, the government looks at all programs and policies with an equity lens to ensure that anti-racism efforts are always kept as a priority issue. 

“NUPGE is in solidarity with the people of Myanmar. We join the calls for an end to the military violence, for the release of imprisoned trade unionists, and for the respect of human rights.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President