Liberal Leader Mark Carney is promising to overhaul and expand Canada’s public health care system if elected, outlining a sweeping plan aimed at strengthening the system in partnership with provinces, territories, and indigenous peoples.
Speaking amid global economic uncertainty and increasing American protectionism, Carney positioned his party as the only one prepared to stand up to what he described as an aggressive push by U.S. President Donald Trump to “break us so America can own us.”
He warned that a Conservative government would slash public services, while a Liberal government would protect and build strong Canadian institutions — starting with health care.
“In America, health care is big business — but in Canada, it is a right,” said Carney. “Canada will never be America. We must protect and build the institutions that make us strong.”
His proposed plan, dubbed Canada Strong, includes billions in new health care spending. A Carney-led Liberal government would spend $4 billion to build and renovate hospitals, long-term care homes, and community clinics. The plan also calls for expanding access to team-based care, better mental health services, and costly diagnostic equipment like MRIs.
Carney pledged to add thousands of new doctors to the system by increasing medical school spaces, building new schools, expanding residency positions, and creating a global recruitment strategy. The plan also includes faster credential recognition for internationally trained doctors and nurses.
To modernize the health care system, Carney is proposing to cut wait times for life-saving medications by 50%, launch a Task Force for Public Health Care Innovation, reduce red tape for doctors, and implement a national license for health care workers. The plan would also ensure Canadians have access to their health care data.
Mental health and addiction services are also central to the proposal. Carney committed $500 million immediately to the Emergency Treatment Fund to tackle the toxic drug and overdose crisis.
On reproductive health, Carney promised permanent funding for abortion care by making the Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund Program a fixture, and introduced a new in vitro fertilization program aimed at improving affordability for Canadians hoping to become parents.
“We will build a stronger Canadian health care system,” Carney said, emphasizing the need to support health care as a national right, not a commercial commodity.
