Premiers’ meeting comes amid talk of pressure on health care system


VICTORIA-

Canadian nursing leaders say they sent a message to premiers when they met this week that patients and nurses are suffering from a ‘severe staffing crisis’ that threatens the sustainability of public health care .

A statement from Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Nurses Federation, says the system is ‘on the brink of disaster’ and nursing leaders shared proposed solutions today as First Ministers begin their Council of the Federation meeting.

Silas says nurses “have battled extreme staff shortages, forced overtime and canceled vacations, with no end in sight” on untenable terms.

The federation says its proposals relate to the retention of nurses, encouraging them to return to the profession and the public health system, and new measures to recruit and train the next generation.

Silas says provincial commitments to strengthen health care are welcome, but “no province or territory can solve this problem alone” and federal funding will be essential.

British Columbia Premier John Horgan, host and president of the Council of the Federation, said health funding would be high on the agenda, in particular that Ottawa would increase its share of spending from 22 to 35% to help improve the system.

Premiers are meeting with leaders of National Indigenous Organizations for the first time, and a statement from the Songhees Nation, which is co-hosting the event, says discussions will focus on the well-being of Indigenous families and youth, as well as on the environment.

Meanwhile, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said he would sound the alarm on the federal government’s emissions reduction plan at the meeting.

He says the reduction plan is “a pie in the sky”, calling it a “ridiculous” goal without a proper implementation plan.

Kenney, who made the comments at the annual Calgary Stampede breakfast on Monday, said the implications of the plan would be devastating for Alberta, just as the world needs more energy.

The federal plan released earlier this year aims to cap emissions from the oil and gas sector to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and reduce methane emissions from oil and gas by at least 75% by 2030.


— With files from Colette Derworiz in Calgary


This report from The Canadian Press was first published on July 11, 2022.