2023-04-17 Six million Canadians do not have a family doctor

Mr. Speaker, six million Canadians do not have a family doctor, and countless others are forced to wait month after month, sometimes years, because of staffing shortages. We do not have enough doctors. We do not have enough nurses. It does not have to be this way.
Recently, I met Bill at an event I held. Bill is an immigrant from Europe and a brand new Canadian. In Europe, he was a surgeon, but not so here in Canada. There are 20,000 immigrants in Canada who are doctors but are not practising, and 30,000 nurses. Bill could not make it through because of the maze of regulations and the gatekeepers. I met some who are Uber drivers. What a disappointment for them. What a loss for Canada.
This must change. The human anatomy is the same across the world. A Conservative government will deal with the gatekeepers and will make a way for immigrant doctors and nurses to practice.