Canada's Nurses Call for New Government to Promote a Health Care Agenda

October 20, 2015 (Ottawa) – Canada’s Nurses congratulate all candidates in the 2015 federal election and look forward to working with MPs and Canada’s new prime minister to enhance and protect our universal public health care system.

Canadians overwhelmingly elected the Liberal Party of Canada on a platform of change, and the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) congratulates Prime Minister-elect Justin Trudeau and his team on behalf of nearly the 200,000 nurses the CFNU represents across Canada.

“Health Care is Canadians’ number one priority, and it must also be for our newly-elected government, beginning today,” said Linda Silas, CFNU President. “After a decade of neglect, Canada’s health care system needs federal government willing to work with the provinces.”

The CFNU welcomes the Liberal commitment to convening a First Ministers meeting on forging a new Health Accord with provinces and territories, including a new long-term agreement on funding. Canada’s Nurses will be calling a meeting of health care stakeholders to be ready and united in advance of the First Ministers Meeting on a new Health Accord.

During the election campaign, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions highlighted four key areas that needed to be addressed: a safe seniors’ strategy, a national prescription drug program, developing a health human resources plan, and committing to a strong publicly-funded health care system.

The CFNU is calling on the newly-elected Liberal government to take action on these four key areas. Canada’s Nurses will continue to work with elected representatives at all levels of government to ensure that we are able to provide quality, safe patient care to all Canadians. 

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The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) is Canada’s largest nurses’ organization representing nearly 200,000 nurses and student nurses. The CFNU has been advocating for national discussions on key health priorities, such as a national prescription drug plan, a comprehensive approach to long-term and continuing care, greater attention to health human resources, and federal government engagement on the future of public health care.