February 24, 2009

Background

This week Premier McGuinty and Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced that the next Ontario Budget will be introduced on March 26, 2009. That's only four weeks away. That means Ontario's nurses have little time to tell the Premier that getting back on track and keeping his commitment to create 9,000 additional nursing positions - 3,000 in this year's budget - is essential for patient care, good for the province's economy and, simply put, is the right thing to do.

Registered nurses have been sending that message to the government, loud and clear. It's no exaggeration that the RNAO Action Alerts on the need for more nurses are discussed around the Premier's Cabinet table. They are working! When Ontario's registered nurses speak out, the elected representatives listen. That's what they told us during the recent Queen's Park Day - keep up the pressure, it gets results!

That is why we are writing to you once again. This is not the time to ease up the pressure. Much can happen over the next two-three weeks. Many tough decisions are still before the Premier, Finance Minister and Cabinet. There is no question that the economic situation is devastating communities, families and individuals. People are looking to the government for a plan to get Ontario working again. But they are also expecting the government to show leadership to strengthen our public health-care system.

Making nurses pawns in government cost-cutting is not the kind of leadership people want. That’s the message we all need to keep sending to Premier McGuinty – because it’s the right message, and it’s the message that works!

It only takes a minute. Here’s what we need you to do

Write a letter to Premier Dalton McGuinty through our website. If you sent a letter last week or last month, we thank you. And we ask you to do it again. Events are unfolding very quickly with the economy, circumstances are changing every day and there are many competing demands. We need to remind the Premier to deliver on his promise on March 26^th – 3,000 additional nurses this year.

You can send our sample letter below as is or modify it as you wish. Copies of your letter will be sent automatically to Finance Minister Dwight Duncan and David Caplan, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Don’t forget to sign your name and RN title at the bottom of the letter.

Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) – Cutting Nurses Cutting Care Campaign