September 12, 2021
\nCanadian Cancer Survivor Network
\nVia email: jmanthorne@survivornet.ca<\/p>\n
Dear Ms. Manthorne,<\/p>\n
Thank you for the opportunity to share the Liberal Party of Canada\u2019s platform and positions on the areas
\nof priority outlined in your letter. We are proud of the track record of the Liberal government in working
\nto improve our public, universal health care system and are committed to continuing to invest to ensure
\nCanadians receive the care they need.<\/p>\n
From day one of the pandemic, we made significant investments to ensure Canadians could get the health
\ncare they need. Eight out of every ten dollars spent during the pandemic came from the federal
\ngovernment. We have made significant investments to support the provinces and territories in delivering
\nhealth care, including through the $19 billion Safe Restart Agreement, as well as two top-ups to the
\nCanada Health Transfer, including $4 billion earlier this summer. We also provided $3 billion to the
\nprovinces and territories in emergency wage boosts for essential workers.<\/p>\n
We know that while we have been battling COVID-19, too many Canadians have had their treatments and
\nhealth needs delayed. To help Canadians who have had their surgeries, procedures and diagnostics put on
\nhold during the pandemic, we transferred $4 billion to the provinces and territories to eliminate the
\nCOVID-19 related backlog. A re-elected Liberal government will provide a further $6 billion in 2021-22 to
\nensure that health care waitlists can be tackled and eliminated. We will negotiate agreements with every
\nprovince and territory to ensure that Canadians who are waiting for care, including cancer patients, get
\nthe treatment they need as quickly as possible, and that the primary care system is positioned for the
\nfuture and able to deliver the care outcomes that Canadians need. This support will help the thousands of
\nCanadians and their families dealing with critical illnesses including cancer.<\/p>\n
We are the only party with a detailed plan to finish the fight against COVID-19, by requiring anyone who
\ntravels on a plane, train or cruise ship to be fully vaccinated; providing funding to any province or territory
\nwho establishes a proof of vaccination system; and investing in research into the long-term impacts of
\nCOVID-19. And we\u2019ll make it illegal to intimidate doctors and nurses, or prevent people from getting the
\ncare they need, from treatment in hospital to abortion services. And we will undertake a full review of the
\nneeds of the Public Health Agency of Canada to make sure the lessons of COVID-19 result in meaningful
\nchange, so that we are prepared for future pandemics and have a health care system that can continue to
\nrespond to future crises.<\/p>\n
We know that one of the most important ways to help Canadians get the care they need is to ensure that
\nthey don\u2019t have to choose between their health and putting food on the table. That is why when the
\npandemic hit, we introduced three new temporary Recovery Benefits, to help Canadians who are unable
\nto work because of COVID-19: the Canada Recovery Benefit, Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, and the
\nCanada Recovery Caregiving Benefit. We also temporarily waived the requirement to provide a medical
\ncertificate to access EI sickness benefits, to make sure benefits were delivered quickly.<\/p>\n
The Liberal government also introduced legislation extending EI Sickness Benefits from 15 to 26 weeks,
\nproviding 169,000 Canadians every year with the additional time and flexibility they need to recover from
\ntheir illness and return to work. This will permanently extend the EI sickness benefits from 15 to 26
\nweeks, coming into effect in summer 2022. This support will ensure Canadians can prioritize their health
\nwhen they need to. And for family members who work so hard to support their loved ones through illness,
\nwe will expand the Canada Caregiver Credit into a refundable, tax-free benefit. This will help 200,000
\nmore Canadians qualify, and increase support for 448,000 people, and allow caregivers to receive up to
\n$1,250 per year.<\/p>\n
We have heard the concerns from the health community regarding breast screening practices. A
\nre-elected Liberal government will review the structure of the Task Force to ensure that it incorporates
\nthe best advice and scientific evidence into its recommendations and guidelines.
\nOn behalf of our Leader, Justin Trudeau, and the entire Liberal team, thank you for writing to identify the
\nmajor concerns of your membership.<\/p>\n
We appreciate your interest in the Liberal Party of Canada\u2019s policies as they relate to the issues which
\naffect you.<\/p>\n
Sincerely,<\/p>\n
Liberal Party of Canada<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
September 12, 2021 Canadian Cancer Survivor Network Via email: jmanthorne@survivornet.ca Dear Ms. Manthorne, Thank you for the opportunity to share the Liberal Party of Canada\u2019s platform and positions on the areas of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":23133,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-23216","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n