CFNU rates federal parties’ commitments to health care

Silas: The federal government has a critical role in health care that cannot be overlooked

April 23, 2025 (Ottawa, ON) – As election day draws closer, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) is releasing analysis on the major federal parties’ platforms on public health care.

To better understand the parties’ positions on key health care issues, the CFNU sent a survey to the Liberal Party, Conservative Party, New Democratic Party (NDP) and Green Party. As of this writing, responses have been received from the NDP and Green Party. These responses, along with the platforms released, have informed CFNU’s analysis. Although most parties faired well, the Conservative Party received a failing rate.

“Without health care on the agenda for the national debates, it’s critical that all Canadians take the time to understand what their vote means for public health care,” explained CFNU President Linda Silas. “Our analysis looks at health care commitments broadly and compares them against what nurses are asking of our federal government.”

The CFNU has been advocating for key evidence-backed solutions to the health care crisis across the country, including:

• A Patient Safety Bill of Rights, with measures such as legislated minimum nurse-patient ratios and national safe long-term care standards;
• Retention, recruitment and return strategies to stabilize the nursing workforce, such as paid preceptorship programs for students and funding to implement Health Canada’s Nursing Retention Toolkit;
• Expanding pharmacare to include universal access to all medically necessary prescription drugs.

“The federal government plays a critical role in health care that cannot be overlooked. Only they can enforce the Canada Health Act and flow funding to provinces,” said Silas. “The federal government is also one of largest health care employers, overseeing health care in many rural and remote communities. I encourage every voter to really assess health care commitments and vote like your life depends on it.”

Read CFNU’s full analysis of the federal parties’ health care commitments at https://www.allforcare.ca/party-platforms

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The CFNU is Canada’s largest nurses’ organization, representing 250,000 frontline unionized nurses and nursing students in every sector of health care – from home care and LTC to community and acute care – and advocating on key priorities to strengthen public health care across the country.

For more information, please contact Adella Khan, media@nursesunions.ca, 613‑807‑2942.