MEDIA RELEASE: Canada’s NDP Leader calls on Trudeau government to reject the American style, for-profit health care Conservatives are pushing

Singh says the Liberals spent $100 million on consultants but refuse to deliver on promise to hire 7,100 nurses to help address staffing shortages

OTTAWA – On Thursday, Canada’s NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called out the Trudeau government for failing to defend the public health care system against Conservative premiers pushing for-profit care that makes wait times longer, costs patients money and makes staffing shortages even worse.

Yesterday, the president of the Ontario Hospital Association added his voice to those opposing Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s plan to deliver vital health care services through private facilities that will pull doctors and nurses away from the public system.

“Doug Ford’s plan cannibalizes the health care system, and Justin Trudeau is letting it happen,” said Singh. “We already have a shortage of health care workers and Ford’s answer to this is to take people out of operating rooms and ERs in the public system and send them to private facilities. How does that make sense?”

“Canadians need the prime minister to help get more doctors, nurses and other health care workers into our public system—not less. The prime minister doesn’t mind handing out $100 million to private consultants but he won’t keep his promise to hire thousands of nurses.”

The Ontario Nurses Association and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario have spoken out against privatizing health care, yet the Liberal government is refusing to make protecting the public, not-for-profit, universal health care a condition on provincial funding.

“New Democrats are the only party defending the public health care system that makes us all proud to be Canadian,” said Singh.

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City TV NEWS: Rally outside Vancouver college protests sudden termination of key English program

Dozens of students and instructors gathered at Vancouver Community College (VCC) Tuesday to protest the unexpected shutdown of the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program.

LINC, which has helped thousands of immigrants learn English, secure jobs, and work toward citizenship, is set to be terminated at the end of March due to federal funding cuts.

The move has left over 800 students without a clear path forward and more than 30 instructors without jobs.

“We found out just before winter break, and this was the first opportunity to get people together to raise spirits, because people have been really down.” said Frank Cosco, president of the VCC Faculty Association.

Toronto Star NEWS: ‘An ordeal that doesn’t end’: Lost Canadians’ citizenship at risk with Parliament suspended

If Ottawa lets the deadline lapse and the two-generation cut-off is thus voided, affected lost Canadians could just come reclaim their citizenship. If the court cuts the government some slack and grants another extension in light of the circumstances, the uncertainty will continue.

“During that extension period, we could very well be in an election, in which case, no bills could be passed,” said MP Jenny Kwan, immigration critic of the opposition NDP, and a staunch supporter of the bill.

Media Statement: In Response to the Hong Kong Government’s Issuance of a Wanted List for Overseas Pro-Democracy Activists

I call on the Canadian government to take urgent and decisive action to:

1. Strongly condemn the Hong Kong government’s NSL and the targeting of overseas activists, including Canadian citizens and residents, and call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Hong Kong.

2. Impose targeted sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials responsible for human rights violations and the erosion of Hong Kong’s freedoms.

3. Stop according any special rights or diplomatic status to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade offices in Canada.

4. Expedite the processing of PR application for Hong Kongers fleeing political persecution and to automatically renew their work and study permit in the meantime.