Unelected and Unaccountable Board to Cut Healthcare Spending Alarming  

For Immediate Release:

Thursday, April 18, 2019

St. John’s, NL – Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE) President Jerry Earle is concerned by comments made by Progressive Conservative (PC) Leader Ches Crosbie about cuts to healthcare.

“In the first hours of the campaign, Mr. Crosbie has called for cuts to healthcare,” said Earle. “Creating a quasi-judicial, non-elected, unaccountable body to make cuts to our healthcare system is a wrongheaded and concerning approach to healthcare.”

“Mr. Crosbie is essentially asking people to vote for him so he can create an unelected body to do his dirty work in the healthcare system,” said Earle. “No doubt efficiencies can be found, but many of our healthcare members are already burnt out, stressed, and overworked. They are working short, being denied leave, mandated to stay to work, and working substantial overtime to deliver the quality of care that the people of this province require and depend on. What message does this send to them on day one of the campaign? ”

“I encourage Mr. Crosbie’s campaign to reach out to us to provide clarification on this matter as we represent the majority of healthcare workers in the province,” said Earle. “It’s unclear what the plan here is, but it obviously doesn’t include consulting with front-line workers or the unions that represent those members since the first I heard of this Ill-conceived plan was in the news last evening.”

NAPE represents approximately 11,000 healthcare workers across the province in the five regional health authorities.

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For more information or to set up an interview, please contact:

Keith Dunne, Campaigns and Communications Coordinator

(email) kdunne@nape.ca  (cell) 631-9737