NAPE Calls On Premier Furey to Oppose the Privatization of Our Public Healthcare System

For Immediate Release:

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

ST. JOHN’S, NL – The President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE), Jerry Earle, is calling on the Premier to stand with public healthcare workers in opposition to the further privatization and two-tiering of our healthcare system.

“In recent days there has been considerable talk about the merits of privatizing parts of our public healthcare system in the wake of announcements made by the Ford government in Ontario that they would be investing in for-profit private health for some surgeries and other medical procedures,” said Earle. “Let me be absolutely clear that our union stands steadfast against the privatization of our healthcare system, we stand against two-tiered healthcare, and we will defend our public healthcare system with all of our might.”

“Politicians and those who seek to capitalize from the privatization of our healthcare system argue that this will reduce backlogs. We know that this simply will not happen,” said Earle. “Our public healthcare system is already struggling to retain and recruit healthcare workers; these private, for-profit operations will only bleed more workers from our public healthcare system. They will siphon money away from our public system to generate profits at the expense of access to healthcare for all.”

“We need the Premier and his government to stand up for the promise that is our public healthcare system. We need our Premier to tell the people of the province that they will not follow the lead of the Ford government and those that would seek to dismantle our public healthcare system in the name of profit,” said Earle. “The people of the province need and deserve to know where our Premier and his government stand on this vitally important issue.”

“We don’t need half baked, risky solutions that open the door to full blown privatization and tiering of our healthcare system,” said Earle. “What we need is a measured approach that brings the federal government and provinces together to strengthen our public system for the benefit of all,” said Earle. “Public, high quality, accessible healthcare is one of the foundations of our country. It is something that the people of this country are fiercely proud of, it is a great equalizer in our society, and it must be protected.”