As Canadians across the country watched and listened to the throne speech, September 23, it was evident by the conservative opposition party, as well as their provincial counterparts, remarks that the conservatives have an austerity plan rather than a plan to help ordinary Canadians who have been affected the most by the pandemic.
Conservative-led provincial governments across Canada have used this pandemic. They continue to “put out their hands for money” on transfer payments; as an excuse to violate collective agreements, disregard Health and Safety regulations, in an attempt to roll back workers’ rights all at a time when ordinary Working Canadians lives are in turmoil – shame on them – they have done nothing to invest in their provinces.
It should not go unnoticed; When conservatives were in power they had their chance to work with the provinces and territories and set national standards for healthcare, childcare, pharma care and other social programs but they were, and still are fixated on tax cuts for corporations, and the wealthy rather than helping those who need the help the most.
The proof will come out later when we see if the liberals will put workers first, and implement pharmacare and childcare. We see more Canadians out of work and struggle with healthcare costs, as they are dependent on employer-paid benefit plans. Now they need more than ever government-run pharmacare.
It should not have taken a pandemic to discover which segment of Canadian society has been disproportionally disadvantaged – Women and Youth, especially those in low-income jobs.
WHAT DO WE NEED
- A commitment to investing in the aerospace sector and creating permanent, well-paid jobs
- Investing in affordable housing
- A national childcare program.
- Universal Pharmacare.
- National standards in our Long Term Care Homes, with additional support for our seniors, and front line workers.
Now is the time for the federal government to take action and invest in social programs, reform EI, while extending the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, as we work to restart our economy towards a full recovery.
