Dear Minister Naqvi,

Thank you for the letter of greetings and congratulations that you sent to mark the Nursing in Custody: An Educational Conference for Forensic, Mental Health and Correctional Nurses organized by RNAO's Ontario Correctional Nurses’ Interest Group on Friday, December 5th, 2014. It was received with appreciation and enthusiasm by the participants, especially your commitment to a comprehensive Mental Health Strategy for Correctional Services and the introduction of 24/7 access to health care within correctional facilities.

Dear Angela,

Thank you for your response on October 14, 2014 to RNAO's letter dated September 3, 2014 expressing concern with the CNO Council's decision to require an order for a registered nurse (RN) to perform the controlled act of psychotherapy.

Dear Premier Wynne:

The Ontario Toxics Reduction Working Group offers its congratulations on your recent election victory. Our Working Group includes representation from the health, environment and labour sectors, and we welcome opportunities to assist the government in achieving its environmental and health agenda, including actions that would better inform Ontarians about their exposures to toxic substances and also reduce those exposures. The Ontario government has already taken a number of measures to reduce exposures to toxic substances, including the Toxics Reduction Act (TRA) and the Cosmetic Pesticides Ban Act. Individually and collectively, our members and partners worked with government to develop and promote this legislation. We are working to help realize its full potential.

Dear Minister Naqvi,

As the evidence has made increasingly clear, transgender people are among the most vulnerable in our society. For that reason, RNAO was proud to be in the Legislature on June 13, 2012 when the historic Bill 33, Toby’s Act (Right to be Free from Discrimination and Harassment Because of Gender Identity or Gender Expression), passed Third Reading. We are deeply appreciative that you co-sponsored Toby’s Act with Cheri DiNovo of the New Democratic Party and Christine Elliott of the Progressive Conservatives to amend the Ontario Human Rights Code to protect the human rights of transgender people. As health professionals devoted to improving health equity and as citizens, we also congratulate the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) for their recent publication, Policy on Preventing Discrimination Because of Gender Identity and Gender Expression, to help us all implement the letter and spirit of the Ontario Human Rights Code for all Ontarians.