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More proof the UCP is determined to bring American-style health care to Alberta – AFL

AFL calls on Albertans to join the fight to stop UCP from privatizing our health care

EDMONTON – Firing Dr. Verna Yiu from Alberta Health Services to replace her with a CEO who will toe the line on privatization is a partisan political move and serves as more proof that the UCP will stop at nothing to bring American-style health care to Alberta, says Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL).

McGowan will be joining the Protect our Province rally to support public health care today at noon at the Alberta Legislature, and he urges more Albertans to join the fight.

“The UCP isn’t listening to health care workers, medical experts, ordinary citizens or even their own AHS CEO,” says McGowan. “Today, the AFL will join Albertans to rally and try to be heard by a premier who is supposed to represent them but clearly doesn’t. Our message is clear: hands off our public health care.”

McGowan calls the UCP a “Frankenstein party” that combines the worst ideological elements of both the old PC and Wildrose parties, including extremists who reflexively hate public health care and want to replace it even though they know their privatized alternatives would cost more and deliver less.

“For decades Albertans have been fighting to keep big corporations, who prioritize profits over people, out of our public health care. We took on the PC premiers who tried to use our tax dollars to create an elite, private stream of services for the wealthy and we will fight this UCP attempt to sell off our services yet again,” says McGowan.

“The UCP have hidden their ideological schemes in code words like ‘choice’ and ‘efficiency’ to try to sneak them past Albertans. But, we know these tricks and we know the damage they will do if we don’t stop them. The UCP are only serving the interests of their wealthy donors and they’re removing anyone who tries to stand in their way.”

“Albertans know that healthcare is an essential public service, not a commodity for sale. The UCP doesn’t like when Albertans stand up for themselves and each other, but we will fight together to protect our public system that Alberta families depend on,” concludes McGowan.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Ramona Franson
Director of Communications, AFL
rfranson@afl.org