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"The quality of health care that Canadians receive should not depend on where you live or your ability to pay," said James Clancy, NUPGE National President.
Ottawa (28 Mar. 2014) — The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is joining the Canadian Health Coalition (CHC) and provincial health coalitions in a March 31 National Day of Action for a new Health Accord to protect and strengthen public health care.
NUPGE and its Components are supporting a wide range of actions taking place in communities across the country timed to coincide with the expiry of the 2004 Health Accord on March 31, 2014 (to find out what is happening in your community click here).
Harper government needs to step forward to defend medicare
Events are taking place to raise the public's awareness of the Harper government’s cuts to health care funding and its refusal to negotiate a new Health Accord.
“With the March 31 expiry of the Health Accord, we are seeing the federal government back away from ensuring that there are national health care standards across the country,” said NUPGE's National President James Clancy.
“The National Union fears that the refusal to renegotiate the Health Accord is going to lead to further fragmentation of our national health care system. The quality of health care that Canadians receive should not depend on where you live or your ability to pay, "Clancy added.
Medicare most cherished social prorgam
“Health care is a national treasure and Canadians’ most cherished social programme,” says Canadian Health Coalition executive director Michael McBane. “Without a Health Accord we will lose $36 billion in federal funds for health care, as well as an additional $16.5 billion through the elimination of equalization. We’re holding this National Day of Action as a wake up call to the loss of the Health Accord and Harper’s plans to dismantle public health care.”
Medicare supporters argue that the cuts to health care funding will create a pretext for mass privatization.
More information:
March 31 National Day of Action Facebook page
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE