Expanding Canada’s health care is a real nation building project
Health care advocates are calling on federal, provincial and territorial health ministers who are meeting in Calgary this week to defend and advance public health care and pharmacare. These programs can deliver an economic boost to Canada and help strengthen the country’s autonomy and resilience as it grapples with a U.S. trade war.
The future prosperity, self-reliance and sovereignty of Canada are closely tied to more and better public health care services, say the Canadian Health Coalition and Friends of Medicare, representing health care advocates in Alberta in a media release issued today.
Economist Jim Stanford and Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions President Linda Silas recently pointed out health care is our single biggest industry. The broader health sector employs almost three million Canadians, more than any other industry. It has added over 500,000 new jobs in the last decade, second only to professional and technical services in job creation.
Adriana LaGrange, Alberta’s Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services, will chair the meeting of Canada’s provincial and territorial health ministers on Thursday, October 16.
Friends of Medicare in Alberta are very unhappy with LaGrange and want her to step down because of allegations of political interference into Alberta’s procurement process with for-profit surgical facilities.
Federal Minister of Health Marjorie Michel, a virtual unknown as a first time MP, will chair the proceedings on Friday.
So far none of the nation building projects approved by the Prime Minister relates to social programs or services that Canadians need.
Critics have noted Carney’s “nation building” is just a blast from the past, offering nothing new or transformative.
“For too long, Canada has operated on the belief that low taxes, light regulation and minimal government interference would deliver broad, lasting prosperity.
Blayne Haggart and Érick Duchesnse for Policy Options
That illusion is collapsing.
If we’re serious about creating a more resilient, equitable and productive country, government must take a far more active role. Once we accept that basic truth, our horizons expand. As a wealthy, stable country, Canada has the means and the opportunity to build something far better.”
That’s why health care advocates are calling on health ministers to take this opportunity to show some vision and defend and advance public universal health care in the lead up to the federal budget on November 4.
“We need to hear some clarity from ministers about whether they’re going to meet their promise to protect pharmacare,” Steve Staples, National Director of Policy and Advocacy of the Canadian Health Coalition told iPolitics.
Michel has created uncertainty among provinces and territories that have been contemplating joining the program. The legislation passed in October of 2024. The federal government had four agreements, with PEI, BC, Manitoba and Yukon done by the time the election was called in April. Since then there has been no progress and Michel has been vague on her plans for the program. During the Liberal Caucus in Edmonton in September, Carney did commit to signing new agreements.
This lack of action on Pharmacare is terrible news for health care, a vital part of the success of the Canadian economy, says Chris Gallaway, executive director of the Friends of Medicare.
“Albertans overwhelmingly support national pharmacare, and they made their voices heard loud and clear in downtown Edmonton last month,” said Gallaway.
“Universal pharmacare would mean one less bill to worry about for so many people struggling to make ends meet. It would mean significantly less strain on our overburdened health care systems. And most importantly, it would mean people would no longer have to suffer avoidable hospitalizations or premature deaths because they can’t afford to fill their prescriptions. Pharmacare is a clear win-win, and it’s urgent that our provincial and federal governments act cooperatively to get it underway.”
Instead of investing to protect and expand public health care, Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged to balance the government’s operational budget by 2029. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne wants to cut operational spending by 7.5 per cent for the 2026-27 fiscal year, 10 per cent the following year and 15 per cent in 2028-29.
