March 17, 2009

Background

Ontario’s budget countdown has started. Next Thursday, March 26, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan will unveil the Ontario government’s budget plans for the next year. We know it will include a two-year deficit of about $18 billion as the government attempts to stimulate job creation while offering some protection to Ontarians faced with the worst economic situation in more than a generation.

In recent weeks, over 5,000 nursing leaders, nurses and nursing students from across the province have spoken with one voice to tell Premier McGuinty and Minister Duncan that now, when economic news is dire, is exactly the time to build health care and keep their commitment to hire 9,000 additional nurses, including 3,000 in this month’s budget.

Over 5,000 nurses have responded to Action Alerts like this one!

And it’s working. Nurses have extraordinary credibility in their communities, and when 5,000 nurses speak with one voice, the politicians listen. We know they are getting our message – YOUR message – in the Premier’s Office, around the Cabinet table, and at the Finance Ministry.

What does it mean? We must keep up the pressure. For our patients, for nurses we want to keep in the workforce, for new nursing graduates, and for our health-care system -- investing in additional nurses in tough times makes good economic sense and is, simply, the right thing to do.

So we need to push and push. Just when you think they’re tired of hearing our message, in reality they are just beginning to listen. Don’t give up, please take a minute and write to the Premier TODAY!

Step One

WRITE TO PREMIER McGUINTY. You can send our sample letter below as is, or modify it as you wish. It is even more effective if you add a personal example of why it’s vital to hire, not cut, nurses at this pivotal time in your community.

Step Two

IF YOU ALREADY WROTE TO THE PREMIER, WRITE AGAIN! The ink is not yet dry on next week’s budget. It can still be changed. You can still make a difference. Every letter, every message makes a difference!

Step Three

PLEASE SHARE THIS ACTION ALERT WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES, FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND ASK THEM TO WRITE AS WELL! Let’s make sure the government knows we are not alone – We need 3,000 additional nurses in the March 26^th   budget - because if we don’t have enough nurses -- it hurts everybody!