Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

NDP's U.S. Nurse Recruitment Drive Falls Flat on Pay Gap Reality

Image credit:  BCHealthCareers.ca

Brennan Day, MLA for Courtenay-Comox and Critic for Rural and Seniors Health, is raising serious concerns about the BC NDP government’s latest announcement to recruit nurses from the United States, calling the plan “more about headlines than headcounts.”

According to WorkSafe BC, the average salary for Registered Nurses and Psychiatric Nurses in British Columbia is $93,852 CAD, with a take-home income of approximately $70,919 CAD for a single person. In contrast, nurses in West Coast U.S. states like California, Washington, and Oregon earn an average of $153,593 CAD per year, with a post-tax take-home of $117,577 CAD.

“That’s a $46,658 difference in take-home pay,” said Day.

“We’re asking American nurses to take a 40% pay cut, cross the border, and move to a province where housing is scarce and our own nurses are burning out in record numbers. This isn’t a plan. It’s wishful thinking.”

Day says the math speaks for itself: making $46,658 more south of the border makes BC a hard sell—even with the best of intentions.

“What this really is,” Day added, “is another episode in the NDP’s favourite reality show: Optics Over Outcomes. Instead of addressing root issues—like working conditions, rural staffing shortages, and wage competitiveness—they’re sending out press releases and hoping nobody checks the conversion rate.”

Day pointed to the chronic staffing gaps in rural communities and long-term care as proof that this government continues to prioritize communications strategy over a coherent healthcare strategy.

“If this government spent half as much time fixing the system as they do polishing announcements, we wouldn’t be in this mess,” said Day.

“Our seniors, our rural residents, and yes—our nurses—deserve better than this.”

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The NDP is destroying BC's softwood industry as 100 Mile House mill shuts down and jobs vanish

No more than a few days after the province hosted its much-touted summit to discuss the continuing impact of U.S. softwood tariffs, and with Statistics Canada reporting another decline in BC’s softwood production, the axe has fallen on West Fraser Timber’s 100 Mile House mill. Lorne Doerkson, MLA for Cariboo–Chilcotin , says the devastation now hitting the South Cariboo is what happens when government ignores every warning sign coming from the forest sector. “One hundred and sixty-five people in 100 Mile House just lost their jobs,” said Doerkson. “That’s 165 families wondering how they’ll pay their bills and whether they can stay in their own community. The ripple effect will hit every business on main street, from the gas stations and restaurants to the grocery stores.” “The Minister’s thoughts and prayers aren’t enough for those families facing unimaginable hardship. It’s time this minister did his job and not another photo op,” said Doerkson. “The Minister thinks the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Premier’s Office Acknowledges Richmond Residents Affected by Cowichan Land Claim Face Issues on “Mortgages, Property Sales”

“The Premier’s Office is secretly sending letters to my constituents behind my back. If the NDP were truly committed to transparency and supporting residents, they would have proactively engaged with owners years ago, not rushed out last-minute letters to cover their tracks.” ~~ Steve Kooner, Conservative MLA for Richmond-Queensborough and Opposition Critic for Attorney General Steve Kooner, Conservative MLA for Richmond-Queensborough and Opposition Critic for Attorney General, is criticising Premier David Eby and the NDP provincial government for secretly delivering non-committal, last-minute letters to Richmond residents affected by the Cowichan Tribes land claim. For over six years the NDP misled British Columbians on the implications of indigenous land claims. Premier Eby is now quietly sending staff to conduct damage control following public fallout from his 2019 strategic directive for government lawyers not to argue extinguishment of aboriginal title, even over p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Kamloops woman’s cancer test cancelled due to Interior Health mandates for OB/GYNs (iNFO News)

A Kamloops woman’s cancer screening appointment was considered urgent by her doctors and scheduled within weeks, but it was postponed indefinitely when Interior Health ordered her gynecologist take that day’s on-call shift. Troylana Manson now waits with the mystery of whether she might have cancer amid a staffing crisis for women’s health care specialists in Kamloops. “I was happy to have that appointment in December so we could rule this out, but now it’s thrown in the air again. People in Kamloops, certainly people in positions of power, need to realize what Interior Health is doing”  ... CLICK HERE for the full story
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more