On September 2, Regional Vice President Jeff Sandelli met with NDP Member of Parliament (MP) Leah Gazan at her constituency office in Winnipeg Centre.
During her tenure, MP Gazan has been a staunch supporter of USJE members and exhibited the same by writing letters of support and attending USJE events in Ottawa, such as the USJE National Public Safety Awards and the inaugural World Mental Health Day event in support of USJE’s Presumptive Injury Campaign.
During the meeting, the first topic of discussion was the current government’s “Comprehensive Expenditure Review”, which will ultimately result in deep departmental cuts over the next three years at a minimum.
MP Gazan acknowledged the damage to federal programs under the previous Deficit Reduction Action Plan in 2014, and that many departments are still reeling from the Harper Conservative era during which time these cuts were made. With this in mind, Ms. Gazan agreed that this next round of cuts are likely to negatively impact all Canadians.
As the discussion continued, it was acknowledged that cuts to the departments under the auspices of public safety are particularly problematic as there are consequences with each and every cost reduction. MP Gazan identified that in her riding, failures to uphold public safety through supportive programs, both governmental and community, have a compounding impact on the families, agencies and businesses in her neighbourhood.
It was shared that this next round of cuts under the Comprehensive Expenditure Review were likely to leave USJE members in a compromising situation whereby they are literally left to “do more with less” – with full knowledge that public safety is likely at greater risk. As there will be, inevitably, less resources available to upholds public safety, USJE members will find themselves at even greater risk for Occupations Stress Injuries (including moral injury) as they stretch themselves to the maximum to protect the public.
MP Gazan voiced her ongoing support for USJE’s Presumptive Injury Campaign, identifying that given the nature of work USJE’s members undertake, that they should have uncontested access to Worker’s compensation programs when they suffer a workplace related psychological injury. MP Gazan was alerted to USJE World Mental Health Day events that will be taking place in Ottawa this October and she immediately put it into her calendar with full intention to attend in support.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Ms. Gazan reiterated her appreciation for the work undertaken by USJE and renewed her commitment to assist in any way she could.
USJE was first acquainted with MP Gazan prior to the 2019 Federal election at the USJE facilitated pre-election roundtable meeting in Winnipeg. MP Gazan was ultimate elected in 2019 and has succeeded in maintaining her position over multiple Federal elections. If you are interested in contacting your MP to talk about USJE and any of its ongoing campaigns, please reach out to your Regional Vice President and/or USJEcommunicationSESJ@psac-afpc.com for information on available tools and support.