SOS MEDICARE 3.0 CONFERENCE REPORT BACK

The BC Health Coalition’s Director of Policy and Campaigns joined representatives from provincial and territorial Health Coalitions in Ottawa for the SOS Medicare 3.0 Conference.

This historic conference has only been held twice before. The first, in 1979, was organized to counter threats to Canada’s public healthcare system. Tommy Douglas delivered the opening remarks, and the Canadian Health Coalition was founded as a result. The second, in 2007, was convened in response to the Chaoulli decision, which paved the way for the Cambie Surgical Case.

The third SOS Medicare Conference brought together public healthcare advocates from across the country to develop strategies in the face of the upcoming federal election and economic threats from the U.S.

Highlights:

• National Strategizing: Provincial and territorial Health Coalitions met to discuss priorities, tactics and opportunities for future collaboration.
  
  
• Government Relations: We heard from Hon. Mark Holland, Minister of Health, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, and Uzoma Asagwara, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, who shared their plans for public healthcare in Canada.
  
  
• Political Action Training: Attendees participated in a political action training session organized by the Canadian Labour Congress, gaining tools to help advocate for healthcare issues.
  
  
• Making Medicare more universal: A compelling panel explored how marginalized communities, who experience the greatest barriers to accessing healthcare, are unfairly scapegoated as the cause of the system’s crisis. The discussion reinforced that our success depends on solidarity and collective action to safeguard healthcare for everyone

Health Coalition Meeting - representatives from the Canadian Health Coalition, Nova Scotia Health Coalition, Alberta Friends of Medicare, Saskatchewan Health Coalition, BC Health Coalition and Coalition Solidarité Santé 

Stories from the Frontlines Panel - Speakers Kane Tse, President of the Health Sciences Association of British Columbia, Joseé-Anne Spirito, Regional Executive Vice-President for the North, Public Service Alliance of Canada, and Cora Mojica, Ethnic Diversity DVP of the Hospital Employees Union (HEU)

Making Medicare more universal Panel - Fae Johnstone, Executive Director, Society of Queer Momentum, DJ Larkin, Executive Director, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, Y.Y. Chen, migrant health legal scholar, University of Ottawa. Moderator: Nikolas Barry-Shaw, Trade and Privatization Campaigner, Council of Canadians.

Featured Speaker NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh - stands with Bonnie Hammermeister HEU Regional Vice-President, and Bill McMullan HEU Vice President