Singh pitches NDP health care plan, promises to hire 35,000 nurses by 2030

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh stands with health-care workers and NDP candidate for Toronto-Danforth Clare Hacksel (right) as he makes an announcement during a federal election campaign event in Toronto on Monday, April 14, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

TORONTO — NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is promising to shore up the struggling health care system by hiring 35,000 nurses by 2030 and tying new federal health transfer money to hiring and recruitment.

At a campaign stop in Toronto on Monday, Singh also promised to ensure safe working conditions for nurses and an appropriate ratio between nurses and patients.

While he didn’t say what that ratio would be, a party spokesperson said an NDP government would work with the provinces and territories on it.

“Nurses want to provide the best care possible, the care that they were trained to do. But they cannot do that if the ratios are not appropriately set,” Singh said.

Singh’s health care pitch comes as CBC/Radio-Canada, which is staging this week’s leaders debates, announced Monday the themes for the debates. Health care is not listed among the topics.

A recent poll by Abacus Data suggests health care is one of the top issues voters want to see discussed at the debates. Singh said health care should be on the agenda.

“At the federal level, we should be talking about it. It should be an item in the debate and even though it’s not right now, I’m going to bring it up in the debate,” Singh said.

“We know that, given particularly the threats to our country, Canadians are really starting to examine what is it that makes us Canadian. What are we proud of as Canadians? People are proud that we have a universal public health care system. But they’re also deeply worried that it’s in crisis right now.”

Singh said an NDP government would work to boost pay for nurses in the public system.

He also called out the use of private nursing agencies by provincial and territorial governments, arguing they’re creating a two-tier system.

“These are for-profit companies that are offing better pay,” Singh said, adding he doesn’t blame nurses for working for an agency.

“But why don’t we just pay nurses better in the public system? That’s what we should be doing.”

While health-care staffing is a provincial responsibility, the party said it would tie new federal health transfers to hiring and retention strategies.

Last month, the Canadian Nurses Association called on all parties to commit to establishing a national licensing framework to give nurses the flexibility to work where they are most needed.

The organization invited all major parties to reply to its written questions on health care policy.

While it gave the parties until Tuesday to respond, only the Green Party and the Bloc Quebecois had replied as of Monday, the organization said.

“We know that Canadians value our publicly funded health care system. But the reality is, we don’t believe that when we have this economic crisis that we’re hearing enough about ways to bend the cost curve,” said Valerie Grdisa, CEO of the Canadian Nurses Association.

“And when health is the number one spend, there needs to be more explicit strategies. Because there are ways to bend the cost curve that we’re not doing. We have a very expensive per-capita health system.”

Singh promised to streamline the process for allowing internationally-trained nurses to work in Canada, and to focus on recruiting nurses from the United States.

“We also know a lot of American nurses are looking at Canada,” he said. “Come on over! We welcome you here and we’re going to streamline the path for you to become nurses here in Canada.”

Article by Canadian Press staff.

With files from Nick Murray in Ottawa.