a nurses quick

guide to the
2015 federal
election in
Canada

Introduction
Voters should make health care a key issue in
the 2015 Canadian federal election, which will
be held on October 19. Although health care is
a provincial mandate, the federal government
is responsible for upholding the Canada Health
Act and protecting Canadians universal right
to affordable and accessible care.
We encourage every nurse in Canada
to register to vote and help elect a
government that makes health care a national
priority. Our 2015 quick reference guide
provides an overview of the main federal
health care issues and a comparison of the
health policy proposals of each of the four
major political parties that have nominated
candidates in all 338 electoral ridings across
Canada.
Health System Challenges
As Canadians we are justifiably proud of our
universal public health care system, which
provides access to medically-necessary care
for everybody, employed and unemployed,
young and old, wealthy and poor. In Canada
you pay your taxes and youre provided with
quality health care, without having to rely on
private insurance or out-of-pocket payments
for most services. Our Medicare system is
simple, equitable, and just makes good
common sense.
But our health system is under
increasing fiscal and demographic pressure.
The growing and aging of our population and
the widening prevalence of people with
complex health needs present serious
challenges to a health care system that was
designed generations ago. Canadas health
care system remains overly focused on
providing episodic acute care and treating
illness rather than promoting good health,
preventing and managing chronic disease, and
addressing the socio-economic determinants
of health. Despite the higher costs of acute
care, too many people are still forced to rely
on hospitals (and especially on emergency
departments) to get the care they need,

instead of receiving optimal care at lower

costs in their homes and communities.
Our system fails to provide universal
access to the comprehensive array of
medically-necessary care offered in other
advanced countries with lower cost and
sometimes better-performing systems. Often
Canadians are forced to pay the costs of
dental care, mental health care, and
prescriptions drugs on their own. This needs
to change. The next federal government must
commit to working with their provincial and
territorial partners to design and implement a
national health strategy to complete the job of
building a comprehensive health system that
provides prescription drug coverage, home
care, and the other health care services that
Canadians need.
Health Care Transformation
Our most serious health care challenges have
nothing to do with the basic structure of
Medicare and everything to do with the lack of
a federal vision for our health care system.
Dismantling public Medicare and privatizing
health care financing are not the solutions to
our most complex health care challenges.
These problems cannot be solved
without federal leadership, coordination, and
investment. The only viable solution to our
health care challenges is for the federal
government to take a national leadership role
and work with the provinces to build a more
comprehensive health care system that
prioritizes
health
promotion,
disease
prevention, mental health care, home care,
seniors care, primary care, Pharmacare,
aboriginal health, palliative care, and assisted
dying.
Perhaps our most pressing need is for
the federal government to finance and
coordinate
the
development
and
implementation of a viable and sustainable
national home care strategy. Drastically
increasing demand for home care services
across Canada is making it impossible for
nurses and other health care professionals to
provide the access to care and the quality of
care that their clients need and deserve. The

public money that provincial and federal

governments have invested in home and
community care has simply not been enough
to achieve timely access and better client
health outcomes, or to alleviate the pressure
on other parts of the health care system, such
as hospital emergency rooms and long-term
care homes. The federal government must
prioritize improving the coordination and
integration of care in our communities so that
people are able to receive health services as
close to the home as possible.
Given Canadas aging population and
the widening prevalence of people with
complex health needs, the time has come for
the federal government to work with the
provinces to create a national prescription
drug plan. Most Canadians find out-of-pocket
payments for prescription drugs burdensome,
but for many older adults and some of the
most vulnerable people in our society these
extra costs are simply unaffordable. The result
is that these people often go without the care
and treatment they need, even though few of
us would question that these interventions are
medically-necessary and should therefore be
covered by our universal Medicare plan.
Research shows that a national Pharmacare
plan would not only drastically improve access
to prescription drugs but also save Canadian
taxpayers an estimated $4 billion to $11 billion
per year.
Our federal government must also do
more to help our older patients and their
families address the unique health and social
concerns related to aging and dying with
dignity. The Supreme Court of Canadas
unanimous decision to strike down the
prohibition on assisted dying compels the
federal government to pass legislation to
regulate the practice across the country.
Canadians are looking to the federal
government make sure that laws and
guidelines are in place to ensure that patients
suffering from severe and irremediable
conditions who choose to end their lives
receive ethical, compassionate, and dignified
care. But as these regulations are being
developed, the federal government also has to
do more to ensure access to palliative care

services for patients, whether in the home, in

hospice, in long-term care, or in hospital.
Research has shown that at present most
Canadians do not have access to these
services. The government must work to
improve access to quality palliative and endof-life care for Canadians by promoting
advanced care planning and supporting
community-based providers, such as palliative
care nurses, who work every day to preserve
the dignity of their patients.
Health Care on Election Day
Canadians demands for health equity and
universal access will remain unrealized if
Ottawa refuses to enforce the provisions of
the federal health act and abandons the
provincial and territorial governments to try to
solve our most complex health-related
problems on their own. The provincial and
territorial governments simply cannot solve
these problems without federal coordination
and investment. Our next federal government
must take a leadership role in moving our
health care forward.
As nurses we must do our part to help
elect Members of Parliament who will continue
the work of building a better integrated and
more comprehensive public health care system
that puts our patients first. We have the
power and opportunity to help elect a
government in Ottawa with a mandate to fix
whats not working in our health care system
and not an agenda to tear down the solid
groundwork that our predecessors have
already put in place. Together we must
protect and strengthen our universal public
system to ensure that every person receives
the health care that she or he needs. We
therefore encourage you to read the
information in the table below and ask
yourself if you think any of the political parties
has a viable vision and workable solutions to
our national health care challenges.
On Election Day lets make sure that
we elect a government in Ottawa thats going
to prioritize the creation of national strategies
aimed at making Canadians healthier.

KEY HEALTH CARE PLATFORMS OF THE FOUR MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE 2015 CANADIAN FEDERAL ELECTION
POLITICAL
PARTY

RENEW THE CANADA HEALTH

ACCORD AND INCREASE HEALTH

CREATE A NATIONAL PHARMACARE

CREATE A NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR

IMPROVE PALLIATIVE CARE AND

IMPLEMENT A NATIONAL STRATEGY

PROGRAM

HOME CARE AND SENIORS CARE

DEVELOP A REGULATORY

FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND

FRAMEWORK FOR ASSISTED DYING

ADDICTIONS

Following Supreme Court decision

has not introduced new legislation to
regulate assisted dying. Commits to
renewing the Canadian Partnership
Against Cancer to improve palliative
care for cancer patients.

The 2015 federal budget renewed

the Mental Health Commission of
Canadas funding for ten years
beginning in 2017-18. Committed to
updating the commissions mandate
to focus research on substance
abuse and mental health.

Plans on addressing the Supreme

Court of Canada decision on assisted
dying. Commits to funding a special
program to provide grants to nonprofit societies for setting up
palliative care hospices.

Will create a housing strategy that

addresses housing, poverty, and
mental health and addictions issues.

Commits to appointing an all-party

special committee to review the
Supreme Court of Canada ruling on
assisted death, consult with experts
and Canadians, and create
recommendations to inform a new
legislative framework.

Will establish a pan-Canadian Expert

Advisory Council on Mental Health to
advise on implementation of the
Mental Health Commission of
Canadas recommendations.

Commits to making assisted dying a

top priority and will work to
implement Supreme Courts decision.
Plans to invest $1.8 billion over four
years to help provinces improve
palliative end-of-life care, home care
and seniors care, including
establishing a $30 million palliative
care innovation fund.

Commits to implementing national

strategies on Alzheimers and
dementia and create a youth mental
health innovation fund to reduce wait
times and improve access to care.

TRANSFER FUNDING

CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF CANADA | Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada | www.conservative.ca
Cut $36 billion in federal health care
funding over ten years compared to
funding levels if the Canada Health
Accord were renewed and refused to
meet with the provinces to negotiate
a new funding agreement.

No plans to create a national

Pharmacare program and refused to
meet with the provinces to discuss
the issue.

No plans to create national strategies

for home care or seniors care.

GREEN PARTY OF CANADA | MP Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party | www.greenparty.ca
Commits to renewing the Canada
Health Accord and protect public
health care in Canada.

Will implement a national

Pharmacare plan and introduce more
rigorous framework for assessing
new drug applications.

Plans to implement a national

seniors strategy that includes
affordable and predictable home care
support.

LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA | MP Justin Trudeau, Leader of the Liberal Party | www.liberal.ca
Commits to providing federal
leadership on health care and will
meet with the provinces and
territories to negotiate a new Canada
Health Accord.

Will join provincial and territorial

governments to negotiate better
prices for prescription medications.

Will invest $3 billion over four years

to improve home care services.
Committed to investing nearly $20
billion over ten years in social
infrastructure for affordable housing,
seniors facilities, and long-term care.

NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF CANADA | Hon. Thomas Mulcair, Leader of the Opposition | www.ndp.ca
Will cancel the federal governments
planned reductions to the Canada
Health Transfer and immediately
meet with the premiers to negotiate
a new Canada Health Accord.

Commits to lowering drug costs by

creating a universal coverage plan.

Will support people as they age by

expanding home care to 41,000
more seniors and providing funding
for 5,000 more nursing home beds.
Plans to implement a national
strategy on aging. Commits to
funding 7,000 more doctors, nurses
and other health professionals in
community clinics across Canada.

Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario

5025 Orbitor Drive, Building 4, Suite 200
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L4W 4Y5
(905) 602-4664 | www.rpnao.org | @RPNAO