Lobbying registration dated 2026-03-23
Registrant: Valerie Grdisa
Client: CANADIAN NURSES ASSOCIATION/ASSOCIATION DES INFIRMIERES ET INFIRMIERS DU CANADA(CNA)
Targeted institutions:
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat (TBS)
Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG)
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)
Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat (IGA)
Justice Canada (JC)
Finance Canada (FIN)
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC)
Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT)
House of Commons
National Defence (DND)
Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB)
Office of the Secretary to the Governor General (OSGG)
Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC)
Statistics Canada (StatCan)
Rural Economic Development (Minister’s Office)
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC)
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC)
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
Privy Council Office (PCO)
Senate of Canada
Health Canada (HC)
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
Public Safety Canada (PS)
Correctional Service of Canada (CSC)
Prime Minister's Office (PMO)
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Legislative bills: C-7
S-233
Acts: Criminal Code
Food and Drugs Act
Income Tax Act
Government funding received:
Lobbying activity details:
Incorporate Primary Health Care (PHP) principles within a Health in All Policies approach
Bill S-233, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (assault against persons who provide health services and first responders)
Development of pan-Canadian standards for equal access, consistent
quality, and necessary staffing, training and protocols for the long-term care sector, including home, community, and institutional settings, with increased funding and proper accountability measures and outcomes.
Harmonize nursing regulatory practices to support a responsive and 
sustainable nursing workforce
That the federal government lead efforts to educate health-care workers on the importance of medication safety and deprescribing
Funding to support newly graduated nurses moving into professional practice for the first time
Strengthening and creating programs to support illness prevention and health promotion, long term care, palliative care, home and community care, affordable housing and other social determinants of health
Invest in strategies to prevent and mitigate the health effects of climate change
Seek funding for nursing research, including Indigenous nursing
Allow nurses to certify the Disability Tax Credit form
Support for regulated nurses working at full scope of practice
Pandemic Planning: ensure all nurses are properly supported and protected by maintaining appropriate stockpiles of personal protective equipment (PPE), providing mental health supports for those working on the front lines, and ensuring nursing students receive adequate assistance. Increase access to education and training for nurses returning to work or working across various care settings during public health emergencies. Ensure clear guidelines and resources are developed and disseminated, and that senior nurses are included in discussions and advisory boards during emergency planning phases as well as in post-emergency reviews.
Urging the federal government to lead the development of and work with the provinces and territories to implement a pan-Canadian digital health strategy.
Communications relate to federal measures aimed at protecting health-care workers, including initiatives to improve workplace safety, prevent harassment and violence, and strengthen legislative and regulatory frameworks that support a safe and respectful environment for health professionals.
Influencing the Canada Health Transfer and Health Bilateral Agreements between the federal government and provinces and territories to urge governments to increase healthcare investments and invest in priority areas such as the health workforce, primary care, long-term care, mental health, data and virtual care, and surgeries and backlogs.
Improve community- and home-based health promotion
Enhancing access to sustainable health human resources (HHR) to better serve rural, remote and Indigenous communities across Canada. As well as greater HHR coordination across Canada and inter professional collaboration. This also includes increasing virtual care modalities and broadband internet minimum speeds.
Discussions aim to ensure that artificial intelligence and emerging health technologies are developed, assessed, and approved in ways that meet the needs of the Canadian population. Communications emphasize the importance of integrating nursing perspectives into governance, regulation, clinical and ethical evaluation, and approval processes for new technologies.
Discussions focus on measures to expand the capacity to educate and support Indigenous nurses across Canada, including targeted investments in nursing education programs, partnerships with Indigenous and community-based institutions, and initiatives that improve access, retention, and graduation outcomes for Indigenous nursing students.
Improving care in long-term care facilities through enhanced access to and provision of care from regulated nurses.
Discussions include a request for federal funding to support the organization of CNA's 2026 national conference, which will bring together nursing leaders, health system partners, and policy-makers to advance dialogue on workforce priorities, innovation, public health, and health system transformation.
Support a Canadian Nurse Practitioner Initiative based on past similar initiatives
Continue to act on Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations, including recommendation for new Indigenous healing centres, enhancing the education of health-care workers in culturally appropriate care, and increasing the diversity of the health workforce in Canada.
Create a pan-Canadian health human resources strategy
Strengthening of programs and supports for vulnerable populations, including child health, senior's health and domestic maternal, newborn and child health strategy development.
Funding to support nursing certification across Canada to strengthen the safe delivery of expert care to older adults.
Improve access to primary care, home care, and palliative and end-of-life care for all people in Canada.
Provide funding for a comprehensive, universal, public, affordable prescription medication coverage that ensures access in all health-care settings based on need and not the ability to pay
Support the development of a national licensure framework for nurses.
Strategies to address the health human resources crisis and nursing shortages across Canada, including providing funding to provinces and territories to help optimize workloads; financial supports for nurses and health-care workers such as loan forgiveness, tax incentives, retention bonuses for senior nurses; creating a mental health action plan for health-care workers; increasing training and education for health-care workers.
Review the Income Tax Act, List of Authorized Medical Practitioners to ensure all categories of nurses are easily identified.
Urging Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, in collaboration with Health Canada, to reconsider introducing copayments for medications and supplemental health services under the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) for refugees and asylum seekers.
Communications address the need for federal investment in strategies to improve retention of nursing professionals, including support for mental health and well-being, improved working conditions, continuing professional development, and initiatives to reduce burnout and strengthen workforce stability across all regions of Canada.
Amendments to Bill C-7, an Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying). ensuring that new measures are clear, well defined and protect nurses who provide or assist in MAID procedures. Ensure regulations and guidance remain clear, specifically around consent and when death is not foreseeable.
Communications relate to ongoing efforts to strengthen the collection, harmonization, and use of nursing workforce data at the pan-Canadian level. Discussions include modelling future health and workforce needs, supporting evidence-based health human resource planning, and investing in robust data systems to inform public policy and decision-making.
Increasing federal health transfers to the provinces and territories via a demographic top-up to meet the needs of Canada's aging population.
Protection of public from the ongoing and growing threat of antimicrobial resistance
Enhance nursing leadership at the federal level and ensure ongoing support, resources, and sustainability for Chief Nursing Officer roles in all provinces and territories.
Amend Subsection 14 (2) of the Food and Drugs Act  and Section C.01.048 (1)  to add NPs and RNs to the list of physicians, dentists, veterinary surgeons and pharmacists permitted to dispense drug samples