EDMONTON — Prime Minister Carney, his Cabinet Ministers, and secretaries of State will all be meeting in Banff, Alberta tomorrow and Friday for their Cabinet Planning Forum. Unfortunately, protecting and strengthening public health care continues to be absent from the federal government’s agenda as they prepare to head back into the House of Commons later this month.
“Albertans and Canadians are increasingly concerned about their ability to access the public health care they need, when they need it. They want to see federal leadership to protect and strengthen public health care for all. And they overwhelmingly reject Alberta’s Bill 11, and the two-tier American-style health care that it brings,” said Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare. “Yet the federal government continues to leave public health care off of their agenda. Protecting Canada’s sovereignty in this moment means protecting the core Canadian value that is our treasured public health care. This is a nation-wide issue, and a clear nation-building project. Canadians deserve to know that it is being prioritized accordingly by our federal government.”
The Cabinet retreat is taking place in Alberta just days after a National Day of Action saw actions in over 30 communities across Alberta and Canada, all calling for action from the federal government to protect public health care and to enforce the Canada Health Act when it comes to the Alberta government’s health care privatization through the implementation of Bill 11. Throughout the summer, there has been widespread concern from thousands of Albertans, Canadians, and organizations, including statements calling for urgent federal action from health coalitions, groups representing the health care workforce, the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Nurses Association, legal experts, and many others.
“The urgency of the current threat to our universal public health care cannot be understated. Alberta’s provincial government is unilaterally bringing two-tier, American health care into Canada, including a plan for bolstering the for-profit insurance market and entrenching a system of legislated queue-jumping — all in direct contravention of the Canada Health Act,” said Gallaway. “The Prime Minister and his government need to directly acknowledge this threat while meeting here in Alberta.”
“There is no more time to waste. We need immediate leadership from our federal Health Minister including a clear commitment that she will protect the right of Albertans – and all Canadians – to equitable access to universal, comprehensive, public health care. This means clearly stating that what Alberta is implementing violates the Canada Health Act and that she will fulfil her ministerial duty by enforcing the Act,” concluded Gallaway.
Friends of Medicare urges Albertans and those across the country to amplify our calls on the federal government by sending a message to Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, Prime Minister Mark Carney, and their Member of Parliament.
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