Month: June 2017

National Farmers Union backs Idle No More’s call for national day of action on July 1

National Farmers Union backs Idle No More's call for national day of action on July 1:

allthecanadianpolitics:

As Canada readies to celebrate 150 years since Confederation, the National Farmers Union is putting its support behind Idle No More’s “UNsettling Canada 150” call to action.

The Idle No More movement is calling for a national day of action in support of Indigenous self-determination over land, territories and resources on July 1 — the 150th anniversary of Confederation.

In a statement released this week, the NFU — a voluntary advocacy and support organization made up of Canadian farm families — called on the federal Liberal government to fully implement the calls to action laid out by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

It also expressed its support for Idle No More’s demands for governments to resolve land-claim disputes and violations of treaty rights, and to “rein in extractive industries whose projects threaten the well-being of Indigenous peoples in their territories.”

“We know as farmers that we need to be having difficult conversations about how we have come to the land on which we are farming,” said Maureen Bostock, a member of the NFU’s international program committee.

“We need to figure out how to move forward together, given that non-Indigenous farmers have benefited from access to lands acquired through deceitful, coercive or violent means.”

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Pharmacare Town Hall TONIGHT!

Pharmacare Town Hall TONIGHT!

Our AMerican friends are debating whether Heal Care is a human right.  Canadians decided that it was long ago.  Which is why it is bizarre that, of all the countries with Universal Health Care, Canada is the only country that doesn’t have Universal Pharmacare? In 2014, Dr. Eric Hoskins ~ Ontario’s Liberal Minister of Health and Long-Term Care ~ wrote an OpEd for the Globe and Mail explaining Why…

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Pharmacare Town Hall TONIGHT!

Our American friends are debating whether Health Care is a human right, but Canadians decided that it was long ago.  Which is why it is bizarre that, of all the countries with Universal Health Care, Canada is the only country that doesn’t have Universal Pharmacare!

In 2014, Dr. Eric Hoskins ~ Ontario’s Liberal Minister of Health and Long-Term Care ~ wrote an OpEd for the Globe and Mail explaining Why Canada needs a national pharmacare program

It has been estimated that Universal public drug coverage would:

  • reduce total spending on prescription drugs in Canada by $7.3 billion
  • save the Private Sector $8.2 billion
  • increase costs to government $1.0 billion

A Mowat Centre study published by  in in 2015 goes even further:

“Overall, it estimates a universal pharmacare plan would save up to $11.4 billion a year, with $1 billion of that saved just by no longer duplicating administrative costs in the current “patchwork” system.”

However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal Liberal Government have more important things to worry about than the health of its citizens, so the Ontario Liberals Government has stepped up to the plate with an intention to add publicly funded pharmacare coverage for children and youth ~ adding to the patchwork system.

“Because Ontario is adding universal, comprehensive pharmacare coverage to the age group that uses medicines least often. Many working-age Ontarians, who are far more likely to require medicines than children, will still be uninsured.”

— Why a universal pharmacare plan makes sense — now

Town Hall Meeting

This Wednesday, June 28th, the new KW Chapter of the Council of Canadians is hosting a Pharmacare Town Hall Meeting from 7 – 9pm at First United Church in Waterloo (map).  The Panel Discussion will include Dr. Sherilyn Houle (UW School of Pharmacy), Kitchener-Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife will be representing the NDP, and our own Stacey Danckert will represent the Greens.  Kitchener Centre MP Raj Saini (a pharmacist before going into politics) was supposed to be there representing the Liberal Party but backed out.

With a provincial election in the offing, this should be a lively event.  We hope to see you there!

Sign The Petition

Until July 13th you can sign Steve Morgan’s ePetition E-959 (HEALTH CARE SERVICES)

which calls upon the Government of Canada to:

1. Implement through a Federal law, a Pan-Canadian Universal Pharmacare Plan, in this 42nd Parliament; and
2. Implement a National Formulary for medically necessary drugs including a drug monitoring agency providing regulations and oversight to protect Canadians.
Even though the Trudeau government has demonstrated its unwillingness to do what Canadians ask in such petitions, it doesn’t hurt to try.

For more information download the PDFs of the Pharmacare studies:

CMAJ:  Estimated cost of universal public coverage of prescription drugs in Canada

Mowat Centre: Unfilled Prescriptions: the Drug Coverage Gap in Canada’s Health Care Systems

[largely reprinted from WRGreens “Pharmacare Town Hall Wednesday!“]


wrawesome: Pharmacare Town Hall Meeting WEDNESDAY! June 28th,…



wrawesome:

Pharmacare Town Hall Meeting WEDNESDAY!

June 28th, 2017
7:00 — 9:00pm

First United Church
16 William Street West, Waterloo, ON N2L 1J3

Panel Discussion featuring:
Raj Saini ~ Kitchener Centre MP (Liberal)
Catherine Fife ~ Kitchener — Waterloo MPP (NDP)
Stacey Danckert, Waterloo Region Greens

Sponsored by the KW Branch of the Council of Canadians

Dr. Sherilyn Houle (UW School of Pharmacy) will also be on the panel.

Previously I had heard Kitchener—Centre MPP Daiene Vernile was the scheduled Liberal representative.  That makes a lot of sense in light of the recent provincial Liberal announcement about extending pharmacare to children and youth. 

But when it was announced that Ms. Vernile was to be replaced by Kitchener Centre MP Raj Saini, the rookie federal Liberal MP campaigned hard on his background as a pharmacist.  It made sense for the Federal MP , to bring his specialized expertise to this discussion.  

But I’ve just learned Kitchener Centre MP Raj Saini has backed out.  Is this an indication neither federal or provincial Liberal majoritie governments are actually committed to pharmacare?

Come out on Tuesday night to find out why Canada needs pharmacare policy and what the NDP and Greens would do with this issue given the chance.