December 2012 Medicare Lobbyists on Parliament Hill

The Council of Canadians and our medicare allies are organizing a national lobby the week of April 8 to ask members of Parliament to support the 2014 Health Accord.

So far the Harper government has ignored the call of premiers to talk about the state of health care in Canada. Instead, Min. Flaherty dictated to the premiers that the Canada Health Transfer will be cut by $36 billion after the next election (Budget 2016/2017).

The 2014 Health Accord gives our leaders an opportunity to share best practices in public health care, discuss evidence-based and innovative solutions, set national standards on care to ensure that every person in Canada receives quality care, and look at areas that are under-served or not covered by medicare — like home and community care, long-term care, mental health, dental care, and pharmacare — and find ways to expand the medicare umbrella.

We’re asking our members, allies, and friends to help us get this message to members of parliament now, before it’s too late! We met Members of Parliament in a large one-day lobby on Parliament Hill in December 2011 and December 2012, but now we need to meet them on our turf — at home in their riding.

With less than a year left until the 2004 health accord expires, we have a window of opportunity to push the federal government and opposition members to stand up for public health care, something that 94 per cent of Canadians believe in! We need to hold our MPs’ feet to the fire and demand a 2014 Health Accord which protects, strengthens and extends public health care for everyone.

For more information on the 2014 Health Accord and the actions of the Council of Canadians and our allies on this campaign, please see: http://canadians.org/blog/?cat=461

If you’re interested in joining us and meeting with your MP the week of April 8, call or email us!