Canadian Health Coalition
  • Donate

    The form is not published.

  • Menu Canvas
    • CHC Home
    • News
    • About us
    • Campaigns
    • Take action
    • Contact
    • Donate
  • [email protected]
  • 343-558-1788
Donate | Subscribe
    • English
    • Français (French)
Canadian Health Coalition
  • Home
  • About us
    • Our Team
  • News
  • Campaigns
  • Take action
  • Ways to Give
    • Give one-time
    • Become a monthly donor
    • Leave a gift in your will
    • Make a tribute donation
  • Contact
  • Donate

Carney to announce new health minister next week

Homepage Commentary Carney to announce new health minister next week
Commentary

Carney to announce new health minister next week

May 7, 2025
By Steven Staples
0 Comment
2423 Views

Prime Minister Mark Carney will be moving forward on his health care agenda in the coming weeks, starting with naming a new minister of health as part of his Cabinet, which will be revealed next week.

Health Minister Kamal Khera lost her Brampton West riding in the April 28 election. She was the first registered nurse to fill the essential role, and took over after Mark Holland announced he would not be seeking re-election. 

The Canadian Health Coalition will be looking for a health minister who is committed to federal leadership in health care, especially enforcing the provisions of the Canada Health Act which governs the approximately $50 billion annual Canada Health Transfer to provinces and territories.

The Health Coalition has long advocated for strong accountability over provincial use of federal monies dedicated to funding public health care plans run by the provinces and territories. 

Return of Parliament on Monday, May 26

Carney provided a detailed look ahead in a press conference on May 2, his first following the election. In addition to announcing that his Cabinet is forthcoming the week of May 12, Parliament will return to Ottawa on Monday, May 26 and is scheduled to sit until late June before breaking for the summer.

While the Liberals will be returning with a minority government once again, Parliament will look much different than before the election. The two main parties, the Liberals and Conservatives, hold nearly 90 per cent of the 343 seats in the House of Commons.

The NDP lost official party status, but negotiations may take place to grant the seven-seat caucus the resources and parliamentary privileges of official standing, especially funding and influence on parliamentary committees. 

Speech from the Throne on Tuesday, May 27

The Speech from the Throne, which lays out the government’s agenda for the upcoming session, will be read by King Charles in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 27. The speech will iterate the government’s legislative and program priorities, and the Health Coalition will be listening closely for an ambitious agenda on public health care.

As it has been recent tradition, the Prime Minister’s Office will likely post publicly individual mandate letters from the Prime Minister to each Cabinet Minister, putting forward an even more detailed agenda.

Fall economic statement

The Liberals’ fully costed election platform called “Canada Strong,” along with commitments made in the Throne Speech on May 27, will provide the basis for Carney’s fiscal agenda. Carney has promised expensive tax cuts, reduced operational spending, and major increases to National Defence spending and other areas.

Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says the Liberal government will not table a budget when Parliament returns in the coming weeks but will instead put forward a fall economic statement.

The NDP accused the Liberals of planning cuts to health care during the election campaign, but Carney has said he will maintain all transfers to provinces and territories and will “protect” pharmacare and expand eligibility of the Canadian Dental Care Plan to the last remaining cohort of eight million eligible people between the ages of 18 and 64 (eligibility was extended to those 55-64 years old on May 1, with more stages to come, indicating this promise will be respected).

Canada Health Act Annual report before June 13

As required by section 23 of the Canada Health Act, Health Canada produces an annual report for each fiscal year on the extent to which provincial and territorial health care insurance plans have satisfied the criteria and the conditions for payment under the Canada Health Act. 

The report must be tabled by the Health Minister within 15 sitting days of the calendar year, which requires it to be made public on or before Friday, June 13. 

The Canadian Health Coalition is watching for the 2023-24 report to learn how closely provinces and territories have been respecting the Canada Health Act, and the federal government’s intentions to withhold funding in order to enforce provincial compliance.

In the coming weeks, I will be providing more information about the Liberal election commitments on public health care, detailing risks and opportunities for public health care. In the meanwhile, watch Prime Minister Mark Carney’s announcement on public health care on April 21, 2025 in Charlottetown, available on CPAC.

Stay in the loop—subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media for the latest updates on public health care in Canada

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Bluesky
  • X
  • LinkedIn

    Steven Staples is the National Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Canadian Health Coalition

    (This article was updated on May 14 to include the government’s plan to not release a budget when Parliament returns, issuing a fall economic statement instead.)

    Tags: Canada Health Transfer Dental Care Pharmacare

    Previous Story
    Pharmacare must expand as Trump’s tariffs threaten prescription drug access in Canada
    Next Story
    Study says private clinics are selling patient data to big pharma

    Related Articles

    Pharmacare must expand as Trump’s tariffs threaten prescription drug access in Canada

    Now is the time for full national coverage

    Watch Dr. Brandon Doucet explain the future of dental care in Canada

    Canadian Dental Care Plan "a down payment towards universal dental...

    Recent Posts

    • Webinar: Privatization in Canadian health care: What’s at stake?    May 22, 2025
    • Tempers flare over Montréal’s Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital after power outage and generator failure May 22, 2025
    • Attack on Alberta Health Services reveals the failings of surgery privatization May 21, 2025
    • Health coalition looks for risks to public health care in U.S. trade talks May 21, 2025
    • Meet your new minister of health: Marjorie Michel May 14, 2025

    Tags

    Canada Health Act Canada Health Transfer Canadian Health Coalition COVID-19 Dental Care Federal Election 44 Federal Election 45 Health+Hope 2025 Health Care Workers Health Policy Home care Long-term Care Medicare Mental Health Pharmacare Plasma Privatization Racism Reproductive Health Care Sexual and reproductive health and rights Solutions series Substance use care Toxic drug crisis
    Canadian Health Coalition
    2841 Riverside Dr.
    Ottawa, Ontario K1V 8X7
    +343.558.1788
    [email protected]
    • Home
    • What we do
    • Campaigns
    • News
    • Contact
    SearchPostsLogin
    Thursday, 22, May
    Webinar: Privatization in Canadian health care: What’s at stake?   
    Thursday, 22, May
    Tempers flare over Montréal’s Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital after power outage and generator failure
    Wednesday, 21, May
    Attack on Alberta Health Services reveals the failings of surgery privatization
    Wednesday, 21, May
    Health coalition looks for risks to public health care in U.S. trade talks
    Wednesday, 14, May
    Meet your new minister of health: Marjorie Michel
    Tuesday, 13, May
    Without mental health and substance use care, Canada’s health care system is not universal

    Welcome back,