Status quo parliament must not return to the status quo
Parliament must get to work on key issues facing workers
OTTAWA – Canada’s unions congratulate Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party on their re-election and offer to work with the government and Parliamentarians from all parties on building a pandemic recovery that addresses the critical challenges facing workers and their families.
“Canadians have spoken, and their message is clear: it’s time for Parliament to get down to work on a progressive recovery,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “This means MPs from all parties must act urgently on strengthening public health care – including implementing pharmacare; permanently improving our EI system so workers aren’t left behind; enacting fair tax reforms so that the richest pay their fair share; and instituting a mixed member proportional representation system.”
Bruske noted that Prime Minister Trudeau has committed to affordable child care, universal pharmacare and electoral reform, all included in Jagmeet Singh and the NDP’s platform commitments.
“Workers in Canada are worried about making ends meet, and they want to get back to work in decent jobs with real benefits and a path to unionization. Investing in key areas of the economy will create better jobs and help Canada thrive,” said Bruske. “We must now all work together on a COVID recovery plan that fixes our social safety net and addresses longstanding inequalities in our communities, so that we’re ready to weather the storm when the next disaster strikes.”
Over the course of the election campaign, Canada’s unions have been vocal about what a strong, worker-centered recovery should look like. This included measures to allow women to re-enter the workforce, including through finishing the implementation of a universal affordable child care system; strengthening health care and implementing universal pharmacare; enacting fair tax reforms; permanently improving EI; and replacing Canada’s broken first-past the post electoral system with mixed member proportional representation.
