It’s finally official—Canada is going back to the polls, just under two years after the last federal election that resulted in a Liberal minority government. And once again, Research Canada is hitting the ground running with the launch of the Your Candidates, Your Health 2021 Federal Election Campaign and Website to provide our Members, Supporters and Partners with the health research and innovation resources and campaign intelligence you need to engage in this federal election season and deliver important information and messages about health research and innovation to Federal Election 2021 Candidates in your organizations’ ridings.
Your Candidates, Your Health is a virtual initiative, providing our Members with the digital tools needed to advocate to local Candidates.
- Our Election Primer spells out Research Canada’s policy positions and advocacy messages
- Our Campaign Kit provides information about health research and innovation in Canada that you can send directly to your local Candidates, along with some of your organization’s information.
- Our Tips for Effective Advocacy, will be provided to all of our Members and available for download on our website in the coming weeks.
We also encourage you to organize virtual town halls where we provide you with a step-by-step guide as to how to do so. What is most important, though, is that you get out and meet your Candidates—either virtually or in person—so that you jump start your relationship with possible new MPs and reinforce the bonds you have forged with incumbents. Remember, how you enter something is how it will unfold!
Now on the Website:
- An update on the Current State of Health Research and Innovation in Canada
- CanadaSpeaks! 2019 national poll results, with a 2021 update on the proportion of Canadians who are likely to vote for a Candidate who supports increased funding for health and medical research
- Stories of health research and innovation developments from Research Canada’s Members
- Stories of patients who benefit from health research and innovation
- Quick Tips for Effective Advocacy
- Meeting with Candidates: Policy Questions and Answers
- Using Social Media for Advocacy
- Maximizing Your Impact: Town Halls
Coming Soon:
Responding to and Recovering from the COVID-19 Pandemic
The health research and innovation ecosystem has made incredible contributions to Canada’s COVID-19 response and recovery, as well as to our ongoing health security, social wellbeing and economic prosperity. We’ll be providing Candidates with information about the health research and innovation ecosystem’s response to the pandemic and educating them on how we got to where we are today, and sharing news stories from our Members about their role in the pandemic response.
The Your Candidates, Your Health Blog
Stay tuned for more blogs like this throughout the campaign to keep informed on election insights, as well as posts from thought leaders and health research and innovation stakeholders that will help show Candidates the importance of supporting health research and innovation.
Deborah Gordon-El-Bihbety is President and CEO at Research Canada: An Alliance for Health Discovery.
