Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to thank our witnesses for being here this morning to deliver their messages and their thoughts on this important matter of employability in Canada.
I'd like to start with the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions. I was surprised to hear in your presentation that you expect more leadership from the federal government, when health care is a provincial area of jurisdiction. As union leaders, you must be aware of the fact that over the years the federal government has cut back on its support for provincial programs. According to the rules, 25% of transfer payments were to be allocated to supporting programs, but after the cutbacks, specifically between 1993 and 1997, support dropped to 15%. At the moment federal support stands at 17.5% approximately, which has brought pressure to bear on the provinces, and they in turn had to cut back in the health care field. So, this is the end result.
The other issue is the lack of vision of various governments with respect to our aging population. That also increases the pressure on the health care system.
Third, there were two levels of cuts: by cutting support services, maintenance, etc., the government contributed to increasing pressure on nurses because support services often serve to support nurses. My analysis of the matter leads me to believe that that is what caused many nurses to leave Canada to go elsewhere, like Europe. Indeed, several Quebec nurses went to Switzerland, Belgium, France. From other parts of Canada, nurses left for the United States. You mentioned that, in fact.
I would like to understand why you are once again turning to the federal government when it doesn't seem as though that is where the solution lies.
Moreover, you refer to nurses leaving the profession, but it isn't only because they are retiring. How could we encourage the nurses that have left to come back?