BC Nurses' Union Congratulates Liberals on Election Win

The BC Nurses' Union congratulates the Liberal Party on winning the most seats in yesterday's general election. The electoral results suggest that voters want all parties to work together to tackle the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Liberal leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called an early election last month; the exercise has resulted in another minority government and a parliament largely unchanged since the previous election in 2019.

During the campaign period, nurses in BC and across the country joined together and called for federal leadership to address a nurse staffing crisis that has only been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses rallied to raise awareness of the chronic nurse shortage and increasingly challenging and dangerous working conditions that are driving them out of the profession.

When parliament resumes, nurses expect Ottawa to provide the funding and leadership that will be critical for ensuring provinces can recruit and retain the thousands of nurses and other health-care workers required to care for Canadians, today and in the future.

Federal leadership will also be needed to address the many other challenges facing our health-care system. These include taking bolder action on the opioid crisis, reforming seniors' care, establishing national pharmacare, funding mental health services, implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and addressing systemic racism in health care.

A minority government means cooperation and partnership are now essential for achieving these important health-care objectives. BC's nurses expect nothing less from their elected MPs.