Advocate now: Need your help to #MakeFoodAllergyCount with the federal budget

As you know, we launched the National Food Allergy Action Plan last year and provided the federal government with a pre-budget submission for consideration on implementing the plan, with specific targeted investments in food allergy management and prevention.

The federal government is deciding now on how to prioritize their spending. This is where we need your help!

Ideally by end of day tomorrow, Friday March 6th, please reach out to your Member of Parliament and ask for their support. Your voice is critical. MPs need to hear from the community that food allergy is an important issue for many Canadians – including voters who live in their riding.

Here are some things to highlight to your MP:

• Ask them to support Food Allergy Canada’s and the CSACI’s 2020 pre-budget submission which focuses on greater public education on food allergy and strengthening access to ingredient information – so you know what’s in your food and can stay safe. Let them know this is important to you and your family.
• Share your story with them on how you are impacted by food allergy and that you are one of more than 2 million Canadians – including 500,000 children – living with this serious medical condition.
• It’s important to also copy the Minister of Finance, Bill Morneau, at Bill.Morneau@parl.gc.ca when you email your MP.

This simple act will help enormously in our ongoing advocacy to elevate food allergy as a federal priority. If you need more tips on what to say, check out our letter tips page.

Tell your MP how food allergy impacts you and to support the pre-budget submission for the National Food Allergy Action Plan.

Advocating on your behalf

We were in Ottawa this week advocating for the National Food Allergy Action Plan and seeking support for our federal budget submission. We met with MPs, the Chair of the Standing Committee of Finance, senior political staff in the offices of the Ministers of Health and Finance, and policy experts with Health Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

In our meetings, there was clear recognition of the importance of food allergy as a public health issue and the need to invest in this medical condition. However, in order to get to the next level and obtain federal support, we need you to make your voices heard and let your MP know how you are impacted.

#MakeFoodAllergyCount!

Thank you in advance for reaching out to your MP! Please let us know if you receive a response from them so we can follow-up. Email us at nationalplan@foodallergycanada.ca.