Butler and allies meet with Toronto-Davenport MP Andrew Cash on Parliament Hill.
On November 25, the Council of Canadians joined with the Canadian Health Coalition for the 2014 National Medicare Week lobby on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Board members Rick Sawa (from Prince Albert) and Leo Broderick (from Charlottetown) were there along with executive director Garry Neil and health care campaigner Michael Butler.
In a feature article in today’s Prince Albert Daily Herald, Sawa says, “The reason we did this was because the Council of Canadians feels very strongly about ensuring access to quality, public health care regardless of age, ability to pay, or where someone lives. We wanted to find out where all political parties stood on medicare.”
More than 80 activists lobbied 41 Members of Parliament on the need to defend and expand public health care in Canada, as well as include strong commitments to public health care in party platforms for the October 19, 2015 federal election. The meetings focused on reversing the Harper government’s funding formula which will mean $36 billion in cuts over the next ten years, moving forward with a universal pharmacare program, and providing access to high quality public, home, facility-based, long-term, palliative and hospice care for senior citizens.
The article highlights, “[Canadian Health Coalition national coordinator Adrienne] Silnicki said many parties have a plan in place to deal with some of the topics, while others are still writing platforms, so it was the perfect time to talk with MPs.”
To read more, please go to the Daily Herald article Local man back from Parliament Hill health care talks.
For additional information on the Council of Canadians health care campaign, please click here.
