UCP MLAs Deaf to HSAA insights on Recovery, Additions, and Mental health at October HSAA Lobby Day

At the start of this week on the 29th, the chair of our Edmonton Metro EMS Local, Micheal Lockerby, had the opportunity to attend a Lobby Day at the Alberta Legislature building.

The purpose of this Lobby Day was to educate and talk about Recovery, Addictions and Mental Health with MLAs. Come the morning of the 29th, all UCP MLAs had cancelled their meetings with HSAA front line staff.

NDP MLAs still agreed to meet, and as a group, the HSAA members present were able to come forward with their concerns. Lockerby reports he was able to relay a story or 2 from the EMS perspective, patient and practitioner relevant. Naturally, all the NDP MLAs he talked to were caught off guard by what Lockerby had to share.

In the afternoon during Question Period, a NDP MLA asked the UCP MLAs if they would reconsider meeting with HSAA members - some of of the HSAA members present had travelled from Lethbridge and La Crete (far and wide). The UCP MLAs would NOT meet with any HSAA members.

The UCP MLAs claimed that they could not have any conversations HSAA members as HSAA is in Bargaining. The discussions that day were about the new Recovery, Addictions and Mental Health model, not about bargaining. Its seems the earplugs they donned on June 19th of 2019, so they didn't have to listen to the concerns of working Albertans, are still strongly in place.

Global News : alberta-legislature-bill-9-debate-earplugs

The NDP MLAs once again tried to get even a hallway chat with UCP and HSAA members.

The UCP MLAs again declined to meet with our members.

If you have a MLA that falls under “does not want to talk about it” we implore you to reach out to that MLA as a constituent. Ask some questions, try to start a conversation. Try to inform them of our mental health issues and challenges - EMS and system wide.

Thanks for your time everyone. Play safe out there!