The condition of our health defines every aspect of our lives from our sense of community, financial stability, mental health and more.
As Canada’s federal election approaches on April 28, healthcare remains a pivotal issue for voters.
Each political party has outlined distinct approaches to address our current healthcare challenges, each with promising prospects and criticisms.
Here’s an overview.
The Liberal Party of Canada
“Our Liberal plan to make life more affordable will cut your taxes and help Canadians afford a home, access dental care, and secure reliable child care. Our plan will save Canadians thousands of dollars every year and build the fastest growing economy in the G7.” —Mike Carney, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
Waitlist reduction: The Liberals want to commit $6 billion to reduce healthcare system waitlists, supplementing the $4 billion from Budget 2021.
Healthcare workforce expansion: Plans to invest $3.2 billion over four years to recruit 7,500 new family doctors, nurse practitioners, and nurses. Announced $52 million in funding for 16 projects across Canada through the Foreign Credential Recognition Program.
Rural healthcare support: Proposals to increase debt relief for rural health professionals and offer tax incentives to attract practitioners to rural areas.
Accessible dental care: Would retain the recent expansion of dental coverage to Canadians aged 18 to 64, saving Canadians approximately $800 a year in dental expenses.
Pharmacare Progress: The Liberals intend to advance universal pharmacare. But specific new commitments are unclear in their current platform.
The Conservative Party of Canada
“I believe everybody should be able to get public health care. That’s the system I’ve relied on my whole life.” —Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
Public Healthcare system support: Acknowledgment of the importance of public healthcare, with plans to uphold existing funding levels.
Canadians who have access to existing federal dental care, child care and pharma care programs will retain those benefits.
The Conservatives are unclear plans on how they might expand current programs.
Rehabilitation efforts: Abolish supervised consumption sites. Claims it will fund addictions treatment for 50,000 Canadians in centres with a “proven record of success.”
They are open to imposing mandatory drug treatment on minors and prisoners who are “found to be incapable of making decisions for themselves.”
Prioritizing Veteran’s: Poilievre wants to fast track Veteran’s access to benefits, PTSD treatment and service dogs to support recovery and prevent struggle as soon as they are released from military duties.
Healthcare workforce enhancement: Proposals to standardize credentials across provinces through a “Blue Seal” program and expedite approval processes for internationally trained professionals.
Pharmacare Opposition: No plans to implement a national pharmacare program, opposing the expansion of public drug coverage.
The New Democratic Party
”I believe we can rebuild our public health care system. We can work with provinces to recruit, train, retain and respect health care workers. We can pay health care workers properly. We can cut wait times so care is ready when and where your family needs it — not just when you can afford it.” —Jasmeet Singh
Universal pharmacare: Commiting $10 billion to establish public prescription drug coverage for all Canadians, aiming to make medications accessible via health cards.
Plans on delivering full public pharmacare within four years starting with 100 of the most prescribed medications, such as: Pain medication Antibiotics Antipsychotics at an estimated cost of $3.5 billion
Dental care expansion: Plans to develop a roadmap for expanding Medicare to include universal dental care, addressing the needs of Canadians without dental insurance.
Healthcare accessibility: Initiatives to collaborate with provinces to reduce wait times and enhance virtual healthcare services.
Protect public healthcare: It would ban U.S. companies from buying Canadian health-care businesses. The NDP would enforce the Canada Health Act to end the privatization of health care and require provinces seeking federal funding to uphold public health-care standards.
Funding concerns: While ambitious, the funding sources for these extensive healthcare expansions raises questions about fiscal sustainability — and the freedom of choice between private and public options, which could compromise access to treatment.
The Green Party
”We must protect healthcare in Canada from privatization and profiteering” —Elizabeth May, Green Party co-leader
Pharmacare and Dental Care: Advocates for expanding Medicare to include pharmacare and basic dental care among publicly insured services.
Non-Profit Long-Term Care: Wants to support a non-profit long-term care system and phase out for-profit long-term care homes.
Mental Health Services: Plans to expand access to mental health and addiction treatment under provincial health plans.
Minority rights: The Greens promise to enhance access to reproductive health care and protect 2SLGBTQ+ rights, such as access to gender-affirming health care.
The How: These extensive healthcare reforms would demand a lot of funding, which could limited due to current budgetary constraints.
Bloc Québécois
“The Quebec and provincial governments have the expertise in health care; the federal government’s role is to ensure its fair share of funding, without conditions, to prevent further tragedies like those caused by the pandemic, largely due to underfunding of the system.” —Yves-François Blanchet
Combating the crisis: To diminish the ongoing healthcare crisis, the Bloc plans to push for a 35% boost to federal health transfers based on total costs
Drug price negotiation: Efforts to negotiate lower drug prices and harmonize federal and Quebec strategies on rare diseases.
Vaccine production strategy: Proposes a self-dependent vaccine production strategy to ensure national preparedness.
MAID: The party would table a bill to amend the MAID (medical assistance in dying) and allow people with illnesses preventing them from consenting to make an advance request for MAID to do so.
Regional focus: Policies primarily centered on Quebec’s interests may neglect Canada-wide healthcare issues.
People’s Party of Canada
“Canada’s health care system is too rigid and bureaucratized to quickly adapt to a crisis situation. We have the worst wait times of any developed country. Health care costs have been increasing at an unsustainable rate. The situation is likely to get worse with Canada’s aging population” —Maxime Bernier
Personal Freedom: Advocates for more individual control over healthcare, with less government interference.
Private Healthcare Options: Supports introducing more private healthcare alongside the public system to reduce inefficiencies.
Mixed systems: Intends to repeal the Canada Health Act and enable provinces/territories to establish mixed private-public universal systems—and become fully responsible for healthcare funding and management. Does not support the expansion of pharmacare.
Vaccinations: Opposes mandatory vaccinations, focusing on personal choice.
Reproductive rights: The party plans to table a bill that restricts abortions after the first trimester. Late-term abortions would be limited to exceptional circumstances.
Gender-affirming care: Wants to adapt the Criminal Code to outlaw the application of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgical procedures among transgender minors seeking gender-affirming care.
Reduced Public Healthcare Funding: Wants to decrease government spending on healthcare, which could lead to a two-tier system favouring wealthier Canadians.
No Universal Pharmacare/Dental Care: Opposes expanding Medicare to cover pharmaceuticals or dental care, leaving them to the private sector.
Potential Inequity: Critics argue that this approach may leave low-income Canadians at a disadvantage in accessing care.
For more information on where healthcare fits into Canada’s political party’s platforms, click here.
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