Stop the Hogs!

COMING EVENT: March 31 - National Day of Action for a New Health Accord

[ http://www.canadians.org/event/national ... h-accord-2 ]

Tuesday, March 31, 2015 - 08:00

March 31st, 2015 marks the one year anniversary of the expiry of the Health Accord.

Why: In the past year Canadians have lost $987 million in federal funding for public health care.
(See table for provincial breakdown URL: [ http://www.canadians.org/event/national ... h-accord-2 ])

Without a new Health Accord, over 10 years the cuts to public health care will be $36 billion.

Who: CUPE, the Council of Canadians, the Canadian Health Coalition and provincial health coalitions and other allies

What: Canada-wide actions - press conferences, protests outside MP offices, legislatures and other public buildings, and op-eds/letters to the editor

Where: MP offices, Public Buildings, Hospitals and other locations. Currently over 25 locations nationally and growing.

See a full list of events at
[ http://saveourhealthcare.ca/events/ ]

Facebook event

Canada is facing an important next step in our medicare history. In 2014, the current health care accord – the deal that sets funding and health care service delivery agreements between the federal and provincial and territorial governments – expired. The federal government continues to ignore calls by the provinces and territories to work on a deal, and shockingly announced $36 billion worth of health care cuts which will come into effect after the next federal election in 2015.

On March 31st we need you and your chapter to join in and let the government know that you #stand4medicare.

Event Locations:

Please join and share invites to the facebook event page at
[ https://www.facebook.com/events/1410312089277267/ ]

See a full list of events at
[ http://saveourhealthcare.ca/events/ ]


Federal Funding Cuts by Province: March 31st, 2014-March 31st, 2015 (millions)

Newfoundland & Labrador - $ -22.4

Prince Edward Island - $ -3.5

Nova Scotia - $ -22.0

New Brunswick - $ -17.0

Quebec - $ -188.8

Ontario - $ -318.6

Manitoba - $ - 30.1

Saskatchewan - $ -33.2

Alberta - $ -92.1

British Columbia - $ -255.0

Nunavut - $ -2.0

Northwest Territories - $ -1.0

Yukon - $ -0.8

Total for Canada - $ -987.0

Source: Report of the Council of the Federation Working Group on Fiscal Arrangements, July 2012


Not only is the federal government backing away from its leadership role in health care, they are structurally engineering the demise of our public health care system.

On March 31st, 2015, the Council of Canadians, CUPE, the Canadian Health Coalition, Provincial Health Coalitions and other allied groups are sounding the alarm across Canada. Without a Health Accord access to health care will depend on where you live and you ability to pay. This is not the health care (and Canada) we want or need. It is time to tell the federal government that they must sit down with the provinces and renegotiation the health accord and that in 2015 we are voting health.

18 chapters take part in day of action for a new health accord

[ http://www.canadians.org/blog/18-chapte ... lth-accord ]

April 1, 2015 - 8:34 am

Eighteen Council of Canadians chapters protested yesterday to mark the one year anniversary of the expiry of the Canada Health Accord, to condemn the $36 billion in reduced funding that will come with the Harper government's new funding formula for health care, and to call for a new health accord.

The chapters that took part in the day of action were St. John's, Charlottetown, Halifax (in the Atlantic region), Peel Region, Sudbury, Windsor-Essex (in Ontario-Quebec), Edmonton, Calgary, Regina (in the Prairies-NWT region), and Nelson, Vancouver, Comox Valley, Campbell River, Port Alberni, Mid-Island, Kamloops, Kelowna, Victoria (in BC-Yukon).

The Brampton Guardian reports, "A sometimes boisterous rally, organized to focus national attention on what participants consider the critical condition of the federal government’s health care funding arrangement with the provinces, turned the heads of passersby the constituency office of Bramalea-Gore-Malton MP Bal Gosal this afternoon. The Council of Canadians, Peel Chapter and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) staged the local demonstration as part of the National Day of Action for a new Health Accord." [ http://www.mississauga.com/news-story/5 ... -s-office/ ]

The article notes, "The federal government will be slashing $36 billion in health care spending over 10 years beginning in 2017, said organizers who warn the funding reduction threatens to dismantle the public system. That includes what amounts to $198 million in cuts for Bramalea-Gore-Malton constituents, according to Michael Butler, National Health Care Campaigner with the Council of Canadians." Butler says, "It really is a federal election issue. We’re trying to raise awareness within the Canadian population, one that really does believe that health care must be universal and must be public for all Canadians."

The Scarborough Mirror adds, "A large crowd of universal health care supporters held a rally outside the offices of Scarborough Centre Conservative MP Roxanne James’ constituency office... The noon hour rally at James’ Midland Avenue office was part of a 'day of action to save public health care' organized by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Council of Canadians. ...Scarborough Centre residents would see $115 million less in health funding, organizers said." [ http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story ... -mp-james/ ]

In addition, VOCM reports, "About 40 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians including members of the Council of Canadians, the Canadian Health Coalition, politicians and other allies joined together at the Ramada Hotel in St. John's to protest the loss of the Accord, and the cuts that proceeded it." [ http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?mn= ... 1&latest=1 ]

Council of Canadians St. John's chapter activist and Board member Ken Kavanagh also had a letter to the editor published in the Telegram yesterday. In it he wrote, "We in the Council of Canadians call upon Stephen Harper to enforce the Canada Health Act, negotiate a new health accord that returns federal transfers to their traditional levels, and implement a national pharmacare and home care program to enhance and strengthen our health care system for the benefit of all Canadians." [ http://www.thetelegram.com/Opinion/Lett ... per-care/1 ]

And the Kelowna News reports, "More than 50 people turned out a national day of action rally in front of Kelowna General Hospital, Tuesday. Hospital Employees Union (HEU) members and supporters gathered to draw attention to $36 billion in cuts to federal health-care transfers over the next decade to B.C. and other provinces. In B.C., the reductions mean $5 billion less for hospitals and other health services, according to Ken Robinson, vice-president of the HEU. ...BCTF [British Columbia Teachers Federation] and Council of Canadians members also joined the rally." [ http://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/13 ... on-for-HEU ]

In terms of next steps, Butler has highlighted, "In the next federal election it is crucial that Canadians #votehealth to save our public health care system. This means demanding federal parties clearly promise to protect and expand our public health care system by reversing the Conservative cuts."

For more on the Council of Canadians health care campaign, please click here:
[ http://www.canadians.org/healthcare ].


Further reading

Council of Canadians chapters to take part in National Day of Action for a New Health Accord (March 2015 blog)
[ http://canadians.org/blog/council-canad ... lth-accord ]

Tags:

Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]

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RELATED:

Canada needs a Health Care Accord
[ http://canadians.org/2014accord ]
Canada is facing an important next step in our medicare history. In 2014, the current health care accord – the deal that sets funding and health care service delivery agreements between the federal and provincial and territorial governments – expired. The federal government continues to ignore calls by the provinces and territories to work on a deal, and shockingly announced $36 billion worth of health care cuts which will come into effect after the next federal election in 2015.
The Council of Canadians believes public health care needs to be protected, strengthened and expanded. We believe that everyone – provincial and territorial governments, First Nations and the federal government – should come together to negotiate a health care accord that delivers better, more efficient, quality public health care. The accord should include a national pharmacare program and better home care and long term care for our aging population.
Council of Canadians’ chapter activists and supporters are active in communities across Canada for public health care. Through rallies, public events and working with health coalitions and other groups, we are on the front lines of the fight to ensure Canadians have the best public health care system possible.

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Council of Canadians marks shameful one-year anniversary of health accord's expiration
[ http://canadians.org/media/council-cana ... expiration ]
March 31, 2015
Ottawa — One year after the Canada Health Accord expired, the Council of Canadians will be marking this shameful date by participating in a National Day of Action for a New Health Accord. With nearly 50 rallies across Canada and actions in each province, Canadians are expressing their desire to protect health care and to make it a defining issue in the next federal election.

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Council of Canadians chapters to take part in National Day of Action for a New Health Accord
[ http://canadians.org/blog/council-canad ... lth-accord ]
March 30, 2015
March 31 marks the first anniversary of the expiry of the ten-year Canada Health Accord signed in 2004. We will be taking part in a National Day of Action for a New Health Accord with media conferences, protests outside MP offices, legislatures and other public meetings, as well as op-eds and letters to the editor.
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