QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Health
Health Care System
March 25, 2026
Minister, welcome and thank you for being with us. A recent study by the Fraser Institute comparing universal health care systems among high-income countries makes one thing clear: Despite being one of the top three spenders, Canada’s system has one of the poorer performances. The facts are that Canada ranks twenty-seventh out of thirty countries in doctor availability — 6.5 million Canadians are looking for a doctor — twenty-fifth in hospital beds, twenty-eighth in diagnostic imaging capacity and dead last in surgical waiting times.
Minister, wouldn’t you agree that our health care system is not in good health and is just as broken as our immigration system?
Thank you very much.
Before I begin, I wish to advise you that there may be a vote. If so, the Clerk will allow me to step out in order to vote.
Thank you, senator, for your question. The Canadian health system is now under stress, but it’s still one of the greatest systems. It needs to be updated and modernized. This is why, as the federal Minister of Health, I am committed to working with provinces and territories, which are the ones delivering the services, to help them achieve their goals, because, as I usually say, every single health minister would like to see a population in good health, but we need to make some changes, and this is what we are looking into right now.
