Lee Fairclough Unveils Health Care for All – a Plan to Rebuild Publicly Funded, Universal Health Care for this Generation and the Next

For Immediate Release

TORONTO, October 24, 2026 — Today, Liberal Leadership candidate Lee Fairclough released Health Care for All, her plan to make health care a priority by restoring the universal, publicly funded health system that Conservatives have been dismantling for more than eight years. A Lee Fairclough government will fix what the Ford government has broken so that every Ontarian has the care they need, while enshrining long-term, non-partisan health care planning in law so our health system is ready and resilient for the next decade and generations ahead.

As Premier, Fairclough pledges to deliver real support for seniors to age at home and proactively keep people healthy; public coverage for mental health care, starting with young people; a primary care team for every Ontarian; proper support for hospitals; and an end to overcharging by private clinics and staffing agencies.

Fairclough spent 27 years in health care, where she provided front-line cancer care, served as President of St. Mary’s General Hospital through the pandemic and oversaw patient care at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

“I left a career in health care to run for office because I couldn’t watch the Conservatives tear down our health system,” said Fairclough. “Our health system is in crisis. Ontarians are paying more but getting less – less access to family physicians and specialists, less mental health and home care, less support to stay healthy and prevent illness.”

Together, the six pillars included in the plan provide a roadmap for rebuilding a publicly funded health system that works for everyone – today and for generations to come.

• Pillar 1 – Address today’s urgent problems: Expand public coverage for mental health, starting with young people. End higher payments for the same care in private settings. Set measurable goals and publicly report on outcomes, including hallway medicine. Restore essential services and funding for hospitals. Ensure services in French and culturally safe care for Indigenous people, developed with Indigenous communities. Protect, respect and empower health care workers including by ending nursing layoffs and ensuring PSW compensation covers real costs. Restore predictable multi-year funding. Enact Health Care 2040, enshrining long-term, non-partisan health care planning in law so your health care does not depend on who is in power.
• Pillar 2 – Better Access to Primary Care: Ensure every Ontarian can access a team of family physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, mental health providers and other professionals. Enable professionals to use their full skills. Reduce administrative work through modernized referrals and digital documentation. Coordinate recruitment rather than leaving municipalities to compete for staff. Enable internationally trained health professionals to bring their skills to patients supported by an International Credentials Recognition Act.
• Pillar 3 – Support Seniors and Caregivers: A New Vision for Healthy Aging that helps seniors stay well, age at home and remain socially connected. Expand Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) programs with coordinators connecting seniors to services. Strengthen community care with predictable base funding. Tax incentives for caregivers. Expanded geriatric care and technology for seniors with multiple complex conditions.
• Pillar 4 – Mental Health Care is Health Care: Expand public coverage for mental health and addiction care, starting with young people, and school-based mental health. Ban online gambling advertising as a first step to prevent gambling addiction. Address the root causes of addiction with wraparound support to help people recover, more supportive housing and an opioid emergency task force.
• Pillar 5 – Invest in Rural and Northern Health Care: Expand services and the workforce in Northern and rural Ontario. End price gouging by private staffing agencies. Expand satellite campuses and training to help people study and practise close to home. Lead a push for federal investment in remote, rural and Northern health care.
• Pillar 6 – Unlock Better Outcomes Through Ontario-Made Innovation: Deliver a connected health record for every Ontarian. Harness AI for better outcomes and innovation while mitigating risks. Develop, test and adopt Ontario-made technologies. Modernize Ontario’s drug evaluation framework for targeted therapies. Keep medications affordable through leadership in provincial and territorial drug negotiations.

“As a former hospital president, I focused every single day on the best way to use valuable public dollars to help patients and save lives,” said Fairclough. “That’s the discipline and foresight I will bring to the Premier’s Office. Restoring a universal, publicly funded system is the key to Ontario’s prosperity because a strong economy depends on strong health care.”

Lee is clear eyed about the costs of rebuilding our health system. As part of her Economic plan, her government will restore strong fiscal management, starting with a review of the province’s books. Every ministry program will be reviewed to determine the value of our investments, rather than just looking at costs alone.

To read the full health care plan, visit leefairclough.ca/policy#health-care-for-all.

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Media Contact: media@leefairclough.ca