“Today, Liberals and Conservatives chose to deny Canadians affordable access to dental care, a critical piece of overall health that is far too out of reach for many families,” said NDP MP Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre). Oral health affects the entire body. All people in Canada deserve affordable access to dental care.”
Liberal and Conservative Members of Parliament refused to support the New Democrats’ attempt to deliver dental coverage even though one in five Canadians skip visits to the dentist because they can’t afford it.
Left untreated, poor dental hygiene is linked to many serious health conditions like cardiovascular disease, respiratory infections and diabetic complications. Across Canada people are going to emergency rooms for dental pain, when what they really need is to see a dentist. The estimated cost of these visits across Canada is more than $150 million per year.
“The government’s choice not to help people who can’t afford dental services has serious health consequences. With equitable access to dental care, we can prevent health issues like infections and complications before they occur,” added Gazan. “It is time the government show leadership and expand this critical health service to those who need it most."
MANITOBA—On Monday, MPs Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre) and Niki Ashton (Churchill—Keewatinook Aski) demanded that the federal government take action to end child poverty, citing rising rates in the recently released Manitoba Child and Family Poverty Report Card. Gazan and Ashton are calling on the government to implement a national school lunch program and a framework for a guaranteed, livable basic income (GLBI).
WINNIPEG – Winnipeg Centre MP Leah Gazan, the NDP’s critic for Women and Gender Equality, is reiterating Jagmeet Singh’s call on the Trudeau Liberals to cover contraception costs as part of the party’s push for a universal pharmacare framework.
“Contraceptives are an essential part of reproductive health for women and gender diverse people,” said Gazan.