Health care protests

The Hospital Employees’ Union is joining with other health care advocates at rallies at the offices of six BC Conservative MPs today, as part of a national day of action highlighting major reductions in federal health care transfers.

Rallies are taking place in:

• Kelowna - Rally at MP Ron Cannan’s office, Capri Mall, 114-1835 Gordon Dr., Kelowna, 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Princeton - Community rally, Veterans Square, Bridge St. and Vermilion Ave., Princeton, 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Kamloops - Rally at MP Cathy McLeod’s office, 979 Victoria St., Kamloops, 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

“On March 31, the ten-year-old national Health Accord expires and when it does billions of dollars in federal medicare funding will be lost,” said HEU secretary-business manager Bonnie Pearson at a morning rally in front of Vancouver South Conservative MP Wai Young’s office.

“For BC, beginning in April, over a quarter billion dollars will be slashed from federal health care transfers to our province over the next twelve months.”

“These extreme cuts will only continue to undermine our already struggling public health care system here in BC,” said Pearson.

“Given the economic challenges facing BC, Premier Clark should be leading the charge against the end of the Health Accord,” added Pearson. “After all, when her government was re-elected nearly a year ago, the Premier promised to balance the budget, while also committing to not making cuts to health care.

“These will be difficult promises for the Premier to keep, if Ottawa carries through with these devastating reductions to health care transfers.”

Photo: Jennifer Zielinski

100 people protest outside of Ron Cannan's office Monday afternoon.