Health Coalition Launches www.votehealthontario.ca: Social Media Campaign to Identify Key Health Care Issues in Provincial Election – June 7, 2011

Toronto  ON– The Ontario Health Coalition will use a democratic social media campaign to identify the public’s top health care issues and promote them leading into the October 6th provincial election. Today, the coalition launched phase one of www.votehealthontario.ca a “pledge” website.

Phase 1: Through the month of June, Ontarians are invited to visit www.votehealthontario.ca and input their key health care issues/experiences (eg. cancelled surgery or can’t find family doctor).  The issues will show up on the site as people type them in.

Phase 2: Through July and August, we will invite Ontarians to vote for their priorities. The results will be tallied and their priorities will become an election pledge.

Phase 3: In late August/early September the Coalition will ask Ontarians to take the pledge to help make their priorities the key health care election issues. They will be able to see how many people in each electoral riding have taken the pledge. If thousands of Ontarians join in, we can make sure that the political parties are compelled to make clear commitments on these issues leading into the election.

“Health care consistently ranks as a top issue for Ontarians in elections,” noted Natalie Mehra, coalition director. “Every political party will promise to fund and support health care. But what about specific issues like waiting for a nursing home bed, or not enough homecare?  Lip service to health care is not enough. Ontarians need clear commitments on the key issues that matter in our communities.”

“Our challenge during the election is to identify the key issues that matter to the public and amplify those to the point that politicians have to make clear commitments to address them,” she concluded. “In the election we need clear commitments to safeguard local health care services and improve access to public health care.”