QUESTION PERIOD — Health
Medical Licensure
June 19, 2025
Senator Gold, there is growing momentum across Canada to remove interprovincial barriers to labour mobility, most recently through the one Canadian economy legislation, which proposes mutual recognition of provincial and territorial certifications to enable workers to move between jurisdictions more easily.
Yet today, physicians still face different licensing requirements across provinces and territories, limiting their ability to go to work in response to areas of urgent need, especially in rural, remote and underserved communities.
Given that the federal government is advancing labour mobility and removing regulatory obstacles, when will the government commit to implementing a framework for pan‑Canadian licensure for physicians?
Thank you for your question. It is important that our health care system change to better serve Canadians. That means all levels of government and health care partners must work together to do what is needed.
We know — as you know and have mentioned — that the licensing of physicians falls under provincial jurisdiction. The Government of Canada remains committed to working with provinces and territories to reduce as many barriers as possible. Some provinces have already taken action amongst themselves to reduce these types of barriers.
We heard yesterday from former minister Lisa Raitt and others, if I recall, that in some sense the federal government is taking the lead from the provinces in some of these areas. And I applaud the work that the provinces are doing in those areas of jurisdiction.
Thank you, Senator Gold. This is an area that Senator Seidman has spoken about. Federal leadership would be extremely helpful.
As we work to improve labour mobility within Canada, we have to address the systemic barriers facing the internationally trained physicians and nurses who want to work in our health care system. Improving labour mobility should include efficient access for those with international credentials who are already in Canada.
What concrete steps will the government take to reduce these barriers and support internationally trained physicians and nurses to get their credentials recognized?
The government is aware of this challenge; we all are, as citizens. The government has invested, I believe, in the order of $200 billion in discrete relationships and direct health funding to provinces in order to help the provinces transform their health care systems. Each of those arrangements has specifics tailored to the needs of the provinces and the priorities of the government, and we’re hoping that this will help the provinces accelerate their processes.
