Timely and Quality Healthcare

Our national health care system is a legacy that Liberals will never abandon. We will ensure that our health care system will continue to be there when Canadians need it, no matter where they live, and no matter what their income.

Today our health care system is facing many challenges: the booming cost of drugs and equipment, an aging population, and long wait times for key services such as MRIs and cancer treatments.

Canadians want a system that is patient-focused; one that puts their health care needs first and responds to their demands for shorter waiting times. Canadians expect their governments to work together to improve access, to be accountable for the use of taxpayers’ money, and to ensure that the system is sustainable for future generations.

The Liberal team can meet this challenge. It was Lester B. Pearson’s Liberal government that created healthcare in Canada. And it was Prime Ministers Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin improved access to health care, shortened wait times and allocated $41.3 billion to our provincial counterparts as part of the 10-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care.

Like you, Liberals want an effective health care system for our future generations to rely upon in times of need. We believe the federal government has a key role to play in improving health care in Canada; in being a good partner for the provinces, but also in being stronger in its own jurisdiction.