Alberta Election: Notable Health Promises Made by UCP, NDP, and Alberta Party - Essay Sample

Introduction

The electioneering period had different parties among these parties include the United Conservative Party (UCP) led by Jason Kennedy, the New Democratic Party (NDP) led by Rachel Notley and the Alberta Party make promises that touched crucial aspects of Albertans health and healthcare, and this makes the promises worth noting. Healthcare was at the core of these campaigns, with the NDP, for instance, promising to eliminate the American-based healthcare system vouched by Jason. Mental health is usually addressed separately from general health care, and through this criterion, these parties made promised to the Albertans regarding healthcare.

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The New Democratic Party was strongly invested in the creation of strong communities, education systems, and healthcare systems. It hence made a promise to build a new mental health facility of Edmonton for the children to serve all the northerners. This promise, later on, came true as the party built 2,100 dementia and long-term spaces for the mentally ill as well as the establishment of the children (Notley, 2019). UDP, on the other hand, had numerous proposal concerning the mental health of Albertans. Accessibility is key when it comes to seeking mental health, and the UDP well presented this as it targeted the accessibility of primary care centers for those with mental illnesses or addiction. UDP similarly targeted home care for those who are mentally ill by expanding the programs to more communities more so during crisis (Align, 2019). The reduction of recidivism was also critical were this party to attain its goal on accessibility, and this included those who were held by the criminal justice systems. The natives and the aboriginal Albertans were also covered in this plan, as the UDP looked forward to narrowing down or eliminate jurisdictional disputes and hence support the Inuit and the Metis in accessing mental health. The Alberta party created a wellness strategy that aimed at improving mental health.

The monetary investment is usually key when it comes to the proposal of projects, and in many cases, these are the figures that most others consider in a candidate or a party. The NDP party made various investments in healthcare, but none of the monetary promises were made regarding mental health. However, despite the lack of inventory, this party lived up to its promises by building the mental facility for children as well as 2,100 more for the other population. UDP, however, made numerous monetary promises, including a $40 million to launch the Opioid Response Strategy, $10 million to inhibit the production of opioids and $20 million to expand the Drug Treatment Court of Edmonton and Calgary (Graney and Clancy, 2019). While such promises cam depicts the transparency of a candidate, it could also be hype to lure voters, and in many cases, these commitments are often too much for them to fulfill.

Mental health accessibility and quality have improved over the years, but this has been compromised by stigmatization. This includes prejudice, social alienation, stereotype, and discrimination (Corrigan, 2004). This stigmatization has been presented in many ways as some patients have been blamed as responsible for their condition, while others have been met with hostility from people around them as well as the healthcare providers (cooper, Corrigan & Watson, 2013). This is hence the reason for the proposal of the elimination of recidivism and the improvement of home care by the UDP.

References

Alberta Election 2019 Political Party Comparison of Social Issue Platforms, Sector Messages and Q/A (2019). Align. Retrieved from https://alignab.ca/alberta-election-2019-political-party-comparison-of-social-issue-platforms/

Cooper A. E., Corrigan P. W., & Watson A. C. (2003). Mental illness stigma and care seeking. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 191(5). Pp. 339-341.

Corrigan P. (2004). How Stigma Interferes With Mental Health Care. American Psychologist 59(7). Pp.614-625. DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.59.7.614

Graney E & Clancy C. (2019) Alberta Election 2019: Here's what the NDP, UCP and other parties promised during the campaign. Edmonton journal. Retrieved from https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/election-platforms-what-we-know-so-far http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00005053-200305000-00010

Notley R. (2019). Fighting for you. Our Alberta NDP 2019 election platform. Pp. 1-52. Retrieved from https://rachelnotley.ca/sites/default/files/alberta_ndp_2019_platform.pdf