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Standing Up for Medicare
March 7, 2025
RNUNL Leaders Attend SOS Medicare 3.0 Conference
Vice-President Kim Parsons and Secretary-Treasurer Tony Moores represented the Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland and Labrador (RNUNL) at the SOS Medicare 3.0 Conference, held in Ottawa on February 23–25, 2025. The conference, organized by the Canadian Health Coalition, sought to ensure that defending and expanding Medicare remains a key issue in the upcoming federal election.
A Legacy of Advocacy
The SOS Medicare conference series has a long history of bringing together advocates to protect and advance public health care in Canada. The first conference in 1979, sponsored by the Canadian Labour Congress, led to the formation of the Canadian Health Coalition. In 2007, the second SOS Medicare conference was held in Regina, reaffirming Tommy Douglas’ vision of a comprehensive public health care system. SOS Medicare 3.0 builds on these legacies, emphasizing the urgent need to expand and strengthen Medicare to meet today’s challenges.
Conference Highlights
The two-day event featured prominent voices in the fight for public health care. Speakers included:
- Hon. Mark Holland, Minister of Health
- Jagmeet Singh, NDP Leader
- Uzoma Asagwara, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Seniors, and Long-Term Care of Manitoba
- Frédérique Chabot, Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
- Pat Armstrong, Distinguished Research Professor in Sociology, York University
- Dr. Brandon Doucet, Coalition for Dental Care
The afternoon session featured discussions on the future of Medicare, with contributions from health policy experts, frontline workers, and patient advocates. The day concluded with a networking reception.
On February 25, the Canadian Labour Congress Political Action Training provided strategies for mobilizing support for public health care in the lead-up to the federal election. This training session, led by Siobhán Vipond, Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress, emphasized grassroots advocacy and political engagement.
The Fight for Medicare
Vice-President Kim Parsons emphasized the importance of attending this conference at a time when Medicare is under attack. She noted:
“This was such an important event to attend. Now, more than ever, we really need to stand up and fight for Medicare. Tommy Douglas had a comprehensive vision for health care, and only a portion of this vision has come to fruition. What we have is under attack.”
Parsons also stressed the need for a barrier-free, preventative health care system that prioritizes long-term investment:
“Barrier-free primary preventative medicine is the answer, and that is a long-term investment. This type of solution is often invisible, which means that no one takes credit for fixing it. This makes it extremely hard to sell. Denial of care is delayed care, and delayed care always comes at a higher cost.”
Her remarks underscored the urgency of ensuring comprehensive health care for all Canadians, a vision at the core of the SOS Medicare movement.
Secretary-Treasurer Tony Moores also reflected on the significance of the conference, stating:
“Attending the SOS Medicare 3.0 conference was so important. To be in a room with so many activists with the ultimate goal of saving our publicly funded healthcare system was amazing. One quote from a presenter was ‘Starving the healthcare system.’ I thought, how true is that. Healthcare in Canada is starving, and it’s our responsibility to prevent the erosion any further. We need to ensure that accessible, affordable, timely healthcare is a right for all Canadians, no matter what your background is.”
A Call to Action
With the 2025 federal election approaching, SOS Medicare 3.0 reinforced the need for collective action to protect and expand public health care. RNUNL remains committed to advocating for a stronger Medicare system, ensuring that nurses and patients alike receive the support they need.
As Parsons stated:
“Providing comprehensive health care to ALL Canadians is the solution to the health care crisis. This was the vision of Medicare, and we need to ensure we implement it fully.”
The fight for Medicare continues, and RNUNL will be at the forefront, working alongside national and provincial partners to defend accessible, high-quality, public health care for all.