The Liberals propose paid time off to care for the sick, the Tories want tax breaks for doctors in rural areas, while the NDP wants to bring docs home from abroad.

The Conservatives say:

The Tories’ budget outlined plans to forgive student debt up to $40,000 for doctors and $20,000 for nurses who work in underserved rural areas. They’ve also announced a plan to give a $75 tax credit to adults enrolled in physical fitness programs, and a $150 tax credit for parents with children in fitness programs.

The Liberals say:

The Liberals are committed to universal publicly funded health care. Their most innovative health proposal is a six-month Family Care Employment Insurance Benefit that would function like Employment Insurance and allow Canadians caring for seriously ill relatives to take time off work without losing their jobs. They have also proposed a tax credit to those caring for sick relatives. They’ve committed to providing more doctors for rural areas and making prescription drugs more affordable.

The NDP says:

The party would create a fund to entice Canadian doctors working overseas to return home, with the ultimate goal of hiring 1,200 new doctors over the next decade. Roughly $80 million would go toward upgrading medical schools, supporting doctors in rural areas, and forgiving student loans for those who practise family medicine for at least 10 years.

The critics say:

None of the parties seems willing to address the tough questions about Canadian health care, and have largely stuck to peripherals. While the health system is the responsibility of individual provinces, it receives transfer payments from Ottawa. The structure of these transfer payments will be renegotiated in 2015, and no party has indicated how it would use those talks to effect positive changes in health care.

The Green party says:

Elizabeth May advocates banning all ads for tobacco products. She would fast-track certification of foreign-trained medical professionals, and provide government funding for such alternative forms of treatment as chiropractors, massage therapists, and acupuncturists.

The critics say:

Giving taxpayers’ money to fund homeopathic medicine would be irresponsible when most Canadians don’t use such treatment and the existing health system is already cash-strapped. Banning tobacco ads would help discourage smoking but would face costly legal challenges from the industry, not to mention that the government would be overreaching its power.