Minister Michel on Health and Economic Prosperity Opportunities

The Honourable Marjorie Michel announced a package of actions to modernize Canada’s health system, strengthen health-data infrastructure (Bill S-5), and accelerate pharmaceutical and research capacity in Canada.

• Main announcements/actions:Bill S-5 (Connected Care for Canadians Act) is currently in the Senate and is expected to go to the House next week; the federal government launched the Pharma Task Force last month to identify barriers to growth and innovation in the pharmaceutical sector; the Minister announced a national conversation on men and boys’ health and plans to launch Canada’s first federal Strategy on Men and Boys’ Health later this year. Key quantified items mentioned: 399 billion dollars (total health care spending in Canada in 2025); more than 6.5 million Canadians covered by the Canadian Dental Care Plan; 755 million dollars investment announced in the Spring Economic Update (sport); 1.7 billion dollars for the Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative.

• Background and additional details: Health Canada is modernizing regulations, cutting red tape, increasing review capacity, and aligning with trusted international partners to accelerate approvals; the speech highlights use of AI (e.g., AI scribes used by more than ten thousand primary care providers) and the need for common data and security standards.

  • Event details: Speech date: April 30, 2026; Location: Toronto, ON; Occasion: Remarks at the C.D. Howe Institute on “Health and Economic Prosperity: Opportunities for Canada.”