I'd like to share a response I received today from the office of France Gelinas, the Official Opposition's Health and Long-Term Care Critic in the Ontario Legislature. If anyone has received responses to their emails from our elected officials please SHARE main details in the comments below.
You can click this link to read for yourself in the Hansard (official Legislature transcript) what exactly was read today, it's under the "Petitions" section as you scroll down. As the email below states, midwifery is expected to some up during the Questioning period tomorrow (December 18).
Let's keep on keeping on! Apply the pressure, write those emails to your MPPs, and stay tuned for more details on a coordinated physical petition plan if that's what it's going to take to make change.
This isn't about being a Conservative, Liberal, NDP, Green or Other - it's about what's right for midwives, women's healthcare, our system AND taxpayers.
(my emphasis)
- - -
Hello Ms. Martin,
My name is Damien and I work for MPP Gélinas at her Queen’s Park office. Thank you for making us aware of the online petition against the midwife college cuts; it is amazing how many online signatures were collected in such a short amount of time.
Unfortunately at the Ontario legislature the paper petition with inked signature still reigns supreme and digital petitions are not valid. With that in mind this morning France and I turned your online petition into something physical that could be introduced in the legislature. It was read into the legislative record today at 1:45 pm and I have sent it to our local office for translation . If you and your sister are interested in collecting signatures on a physical petition let me know and I will share a copy with you once I have it finalized.
If you think our petition is no good and would like to create your own you can follow this link and see the requirements for a petition to be introduced in the Ontario legislature.
Our entire caucus is disappointed by the government’s short sighted move to cut funding to the College of Midwives and I assure you the NDP will not take this lying down. I am sure over the winter break there will be opportunities to organize to bring attention to this issue. As a Cambridge resident you may want to reach out to MPP Katherine Fife or MPP Laura Mae Lindo offices or make your opposition known to the member from Cambridge or Kitchener Conestoga.
Let me know what your think about the petition or any way we can be helpful
Damien
PS. There was no question period this morning but we expect a question relating to midwifery funding tomorrow morning.
- - -
P.S. As of December 17 evening - I have not received a response from my MPP Amy Fee nor Christine Elliott, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.