Bridgewater – Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, highlighted Budget 2023’s investments in public health care while visiting the Nova Scotia Community College’s Lunenburg Campus in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. Gudie Hutchings said: “Budget 2023 is our plan to make life more affordable, strengthen public health care, and build a stronger, more sustainable and more secure Canadian economy—for everyone. These investments in our health care system ensure that no Canadian, whether they live in Edmonton, in rural Ontario or here in Bridgewater, has to choose between taking care of their health or paying their bills. Our government understands that this is a challenging time for so many, and I’m proud that Budget 2023 has taken measures that will directly help Canadians.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino, met with community members in Sarnia to highlight Budget 2023’s investments to strengthen public health care. To strengthen Canada’s universal public health care system, the budget delivers $198.3 billion, including $77.006 billion here in Ontario to reduce backlogs, expand access to family health services, and ensure provinces and territories can provide the high quality and timely health care Canadians expect and deserve, including mental health and substance use support services. Budget 2023 also introduces a new Canadian Dental Care Plan, to help up to nine million Canadians and ensure no Canadian has to choose between taking care of their health and paying the bills at the end of the month.
Minister Mendicino said: “Canadians are proud of our universal publicly funded health care system. For generations, this idea has been fundamental to who we are, but we know our health care system, and the workers who support it are under enormous strain. This situation requires urgent action. That is why we’ve made a significant investment to ensure all Canadians get the health care they need, including dental care and timely, equitable access to mental health and substance use support services. Budget 2023 is our plan to strengthen public health care, make life more affordable. It is a challenging time in a challenging world, but there is no better place to be than Canada.”