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Paul Moist, national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), will present today to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health (HESA) hearings regarding the Statutory Review of the 10-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care.

Moist will outline CUPE’s concerns regarding lack of leadership from the federal government in the area of health care and its failure to ensure transfers to the provinces under the 10-Year Plan are spent, in accordance with principles and conditions outlined in the Canada Health Act.

CUPE will stress the need for the establishment of conditions on those transfers; the too existing few having resulted in poor accountability for that funding.

Every year, the Canada Health Act annual report falls short, ignoring entirely the transfer of Medicare to for-profits in certain provinces, or giving paltry details for others,” says Moist.

The committee needs to hear about the real-life, daily implications of those shortfalls – CUPE’s expert feedback from the very workers who carry the weight of a destabilized system.”

Moist will also raise questions about the near doubling of for-profit health services in the last ten years – from diagnostics to surgeries – and the federal government’s apparent failure to enforce regulations in some cases while tacitly endorsing illegal practices in others.

CUPE represents over 570,000 workers across Canada, nearly 200,000 of which are health care workers in hospitals, nursing homes, home support agencies, and other health care settings.

WHAT:
Paul Moist presents the CUPE position on the Statutory Review of the 10-Year
Plan to Strengthen Health Care to HESA.

WHEN:
Today, May 13, between 12 and 1 pm, during the second panel of witnesses.

WHERE:
Room 237-C, Centre Block, Parliament Hill

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For interviews or further information:
Paul Moist, CUPE National President, 613.558.2873; Pam Kapoor, CUPE Communications, 613.853.8089