Nurses have an important role to play in political advocacy and can significantly influence policy-makers’ decisions. As a constituent and voter for your riding, you have many more ways to get your voice heard during the federal election beyond marking your ballot.
Learn About the Candidates and Parties
First, get familiar with your local candidates. You can find bios on the parties’ websites and contact information on your candidate’s website. We recommend you learn about what each party has committed to in their election platform.
Know Your Issues
Determine and understand the issues you want to advocate for. CNA’s election platform, titled Charting a Course for a Healthier Nation [PDF, 1.3 MB], contains priority recommendations to all political parties. We encourage all nurses to read and understand these recommendations before engaging with a local candidate. A strong and unified voice of nurses from across Canada will have a powerful effect during the election!
Find the Candidates for Your Riding
There are many ways you can engage with candidates. You can find your local candidates by visiting the Elections Canada website or the following links:
Engage With the Candidates
This year’s federal election may look very different from previous years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Candidates may refrain from knocking at your door and all-candidate debates may be limited due to public health measures, or they may be held virtually. Political parties and candidates will adapt to the situation, but there will be many ways you can participate.
Do what feels right for you. Check out our election toolkit for tips on engaging with a candidate and to see how you can:
- Send a letter: Sending a letter to your local candidates and to a political party are popular ways to express your concerns. With our election toolkit, you can send a letter with a click of a button!
- Request a meeting: If you would like to speak directly with your candidates, we have a few tips to get you started. A meeting is an excellent way to engage with candidates and share with them your priority issues.
- Stay connected: Be sure to visit our website from time to time and to follow CNA on social media! Do not forget to tweet using our hashtag #CNA2021!