Canadian Physicians say Bill 26 and Bill 2 are Undermining Healthcare in Canada.
November 24, 2025
The results below are from Physician Pulse, a joint initiative of Abacus Data and the Canadian Medical Association surveying physicians across the country. The survey was completed by 447 physicians between November 11th-17th 2025.
Physicians are Watching Closely
Physicians across Canada are paying very close attention to the recent political developments shaping their work. According to our first wave of Physician Pulse, 84% of physicians say they are following government actions that affect the profession such as Alberta’s Bill 26 and Quebec’s Bill 2 either very or somewhat closely. In provinces at the centre of these debates, attention is nearly universal: 87% of physicians in Alberta and 98% in Quebec report they are following the issue.
This level of attentiveness is striking but not surprising. Physicians sit at the intersection of clinical care and public policy; when governments shift the rules governing their work, they feel the consequences first. The data makes clear that physicians understand the stakes and they’re watching because what happens next will shape how they practice and how Canadians receive care.
They Are Experiencing, and Predict, Serious Consequences
Beneath this heightened attention lies deep concern. The first wave of Physician Pulse reveals a profession that feels increasingly strained, undervalued, and anxious about what new policies will mean for themselves and their patients.
Almost half of physicians (43%) say they do not feel trusted or respected by their provincial government. For a workforce already dealing with system-level pressures, this trust gap has meaningful consequences for morale, retention, and long-term system sustainability. The picture worsens in the provinces directly affected by the legislation: 76% of Alberta physicians and 84% of Quebec physicians say they do not feel trusted or respected. Among physicians in Quebec- 70% do not feel trusted by governments at all.
Physicians also foresee ripple effects that extend well beyond their own experience. Eight in ten (80%) believe that growing government oversight of medical practice will make it harder to recruit and retain physicians in their province. Recruitment and retention are foundational to access. If the workforce becomes harder to maintain, there are serious reasons to believe patients will feel it too.
When asked about the direct consequences for care, physicians once again express serious worry. Two-thirds (66%) say these political decisions will worsen the quality-of-care patients receive. Only 13% believe such decisions will improve care. The message is clear: physicians see these changes not as incremental adjustments, but as decisions that could reshape how care is delivered in ways that leave patients worse off.
The Issue Is Especially Pressing in Provinces Directly Impacted
While physicians across Canada express concern, the intensity of these views is much stronger in Alberta and Quebec where government decisions are prompting direct and immediate changes to the practice environment.
Physicians in these provinces are more likely to feel disrespected by government, more convinced that recruitment and retention will suffer, and more worried about the future quality of patient care. In both provinces, the numbers consistently show a sharper sense of risk and a deeper urgency for action.
These findings underline a national story with provincial hotspots: physicians everywhere are uneasy, but those working under new developments are signaling alarm. For policymakers, health-system leaders, and the public, these early results from Physician Pulse offer a clear takeaway; what happens in Alberta and Quebec could foreshadow broader challenges elsewhere if the underlying issues aren’t addressed.
Physician Pulse
Physician Pulse is a joint partnership between the CMA and Abacus Data that collects and delivers fast, reliable insights from physicians across Canada. This rapid-response survey series provides timely insights and physician perspectives of emerging health care issues in Canada.
Canadian Medical Association
The Canadian Medical Association leads a national movement with physicians who believe in a better future of health. Our ambition is a sustainable, accessible health system where patients are partners, a culture of medicine that elevates equity, diversity and wellbeing, and supportive communities where everyone has the chance to be healthy. We drive change through advocacy, giving and knowledge sharing – guided by values of collaboration and inclusion.
Abacus Data
Abacus Data is a leading Canadian research and strategy firm specializing in public opinion, market insights, and communications guidance. We help organizations understand people and trends so they can make better decisions in a fast-changing world.
Methodology
This wave of Physician Pulse is based on an online survey of n=447 physicians in Canada, collected using a hybrid sampling strategy that includes both online panel respondents and outreach conducted through the CMA. As part of this outreach, the CMA specifically targeted physician members in Alberta and Quebec, enabling a more detailed look at perspectives within these two provinces.
Survey data were weighted by region of practice using 2024 statistics from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) to ensure results are representative of the national physician population.
The survey was in field from November 11th-17th 2025.
