Protesters gather outside premiers’ conference

The gathering of premiers prompted a gathering of protesters today.

Thousands of union members and health professionals worried about the state of Canada’s health care system arrived by the busload from across the province and beyond. They rallied in front of the Queen’s Landing hotel to get the attention of the nation’s leaders inside.

CUPE’s Paul Moist: “The Harper government made one offer, in December 2011, that will cut funding more than $36 billion. What would that mean, practically? Massive tax increases, a ratcheting down of services, or a combination of both.”

The Council of Canadians’ Maude Barlow: “There will be not enough money from the federal government to enforce the Canada Health Act. That will mean we won’t have a national program any more, you’ll get different services in different parts of the country. Some provinces will be richer and able to do it on their own, others will not. There will be a lot of privatization.”

Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne told reporters that health care discussions on the table would focus on keeping the system sustainable with our aging population.