Issues, Campaigns and Government Relations

ADVISORY COUNCIL RELEASES INTERIM REPORT ON NATIONAL PHARMACARE: CONCERNS RAISED OVER FINANCE MINISTER'S PERCEIVED CONFLICT OF INTEREST The Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare released its interim report on March 6. The council was established with a funding commitment from the federal government’s 2018 budget, and has been tasked with recommending measures for implementing affordable national Pharmacare for...

HSA members have been invited by CoDevelopment (CoDev) Canada to participate in its 2019 Canadian delegation to Honduras and Nicaragua. This year, the Canadian delegation will focus on occupational health and safety and gender rights in the Maquila (textile manufacturing) industry, and will be meeting with one of CoDev’s partners in Central America: the Honduran women’s collective (CODEMUH) in Honduras...

On Tuesday, February 19 the BC NDP government introduced Budget 2019. Following from the Throne Speech, the budget allows us to see the actual investments being made in critical program areas and the new initiatives government has prioritized for the coming year. Budget 2019 continued to build on the government’s focus on increasing affordability for families and strengthening health care...

For Immediate Release Health Sciences Association of BC says today’s provincial budget provides important investments in health care and social services, but workforce challenges need attention. HSA represents 18,000 highly trained specialists working in diagnostic MRI, sonography and lab testing, physiotherapy, social work, radiation therapy, pharmacy, early childhood development and many other health science and social service professions. “We are...

Yesterday was a big day in provincial politics, as MLAs from across the province were back in Victoria and the Spring sitting of the Legislative Assembly got underway. To open the session, the Lieutenant Governor, Honourable Janet Austin, delivered the Speech from the Throne. The Throne Speech is an opportunity for government to lay out its agenda for the coming...

THE RIGHT TO STRIKE:POSTAL WORKERS LEGISLATED BACK TO WORK, CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE LAUNCHED The Report, December 2018 In a disturbing turn of events, Bill C-89 was passed on Nov. 26 in the Canadian Senate, forcing postal workers to return to work after five weeks of rotating strikes. The emergency bill was rushed through the House of Commons the week earlier, with...

On Dec. 6, 1989, 14 women were murdered in a disturbing act of misogynist violence at É cole Polytechnique. Murdered by a man who claimed the act was “fighting feminism,” these women were targeted because they were pursuing engineering degrees, and the attacker believed these jobs should be performed only by men. December 6 th is now known as the...

HSA welcomes today’s news that BC Minister of Health Adrian Dix has introduced legislation repealing 16-year-old legislation that targeted health care and community social services workers British Columbians count on to care for them during their most vulnerable times. “This legislation introduced today brings an end to almost two decades of attacks on health care and community social service workers,”...

Are you or do you know a young woman who is an emerging leader? Equal Voice Canada wants you. Equal Voice invites young women, ages 18 to 23, from across the country to apply to be one of 338 dynamic and diverse emerging leaders who will be in session in Canada’s Parliament April 2019 with Daughters of the Vote. One...

On Saturday, October 20, 2018 British Columbians head to the polls to elect mayors, municipal councillors, school trustees, and regional district representatives. These local representatives play a critical role in creating liveable communities and as advocates for our communities with higher levels of government. Overall, fewer than 25 per cent of eligible voters actually cast a ballot in BC’s local...