UNA congratulates new cabinet members, looks forward to working with them

Huge crowds gathered at the Alberta Legislature Sunday to witness the swearing in of Premier Rachel Notley and her cabinet – including Health and Seniors Minister Sarah Hoffman.

United Nurses of Alberta congratulates Premier Notley and all members of her cabinet and looks forward to working with Minister Hoffman to enhance and protect Alberta’s public health care system.

“We anticipate a very positive working relationship with Sarah Hoffman, who is an experienced political leader through her past roles with the Edmonton Public School Board, to ensure the expertise and education of Registered Nurses is drawn upon to improve the quality of health care Albertans can expect,” said UNA First Vice-President Jane Sustrik today.

Hoffman, MLA for Edmonton-Glenora, served as a trustee on the Edmonton Public School Board and, from 2012 to 2015 was chair of the board. She was also a researcher for the NDP in Edmonton before her career in elected office began. She was overwhelmingly elected in her central Edmonton riding in the NDP sweep on May 5, and publicly named as health and seniors minister by Premier Notley on Sunday.

“Front-line nurses have enormous knowledge that can be used to enhance and maintain the treatment of Albertans in the health care system, and to protect our seniors,” Sustrik said. “We were encouraged during the election campaign that the NDP was committed to maintaining funding for Alberta’s public health care system and other public services, and we are very hopeful of a positive working relationship with Sarah Hoffman.”

Echoing statements made shortly after the election by UNA President Heather Smith, who is out of the province today, Sustrik emphasized UNA’s belief that Albertans’ strong support for our pubic health care system was a significant contributing factor to the election results.

Among the health sector priorities UNA would like to see the Notley Government emphasize, Sustrik said, are the need to work with the federal government to find a better formula for national funding of health care and developing a national Pharmacare program, which would save taxpayers billions of dollars and ensure all Canadians have access to the full medical treatments they need.

UNA also congratulates Lori Sigurdson, who was named the minister of jobs, skills, training and labour, Sustrik said.

Because of important recent rulings on labour laws by the Alberta Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada, the previous government had already commenced a review of Alberta labour legislation, Sustrik noted. “So we also look forward to working with Minister Sigurdson on this review to develop essential services laws and regulations that are compliant with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well as to improve other areas of labour legislation that are currently deficient.”

Sigurdson, a former university instructor in social work and professional affairs manager of the Alberta College of Social Work, is the MLA for Edmonton-Riverview.

As an organization representing many women, UNA also wanted to particularly congratulate Shannon Phillips to her appointment by the premier as minister with responsibility for the status of women. The Lethbridge-West MLA, a former researcher with the Alberta Federation of Labour, is also minister of environment in Notley’s 12-member cabinet.

While they have not yet been sworn in, Sustrik noted, UNA is very pleased that two members of the union won seats as MLAs in the May 5 election – Danielle Larivee in Lesser Slave Lake and Cam Westhead in Banff-Cochrane.

“Having members in the Legislature who understand the needs of the health care system, nurses’ workplace issues and the perspective of the labour movement is a tremendous asset for Premier Notley, her government and all Albertans,” Sustrik said.