Liberal Nurse Practitioner Announcement About Politics, Not Patients

St. John’s, NL (August 27, 2025) – Barry Petten, Progressive Conservative Shadow Minister of Health and MHA for Conception Bay South, is calling out the Liberal government for announcing a plan that will still require too many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to pay out of pocket to see a Nurse Practitioner. 

“With only weeks to go before the election, the Liberals should have stolen the PC policy of letting ALL Newfoundlanders and Labradorians see a Nurse Practitioner for free - no strings attached,” said Petten. “Instead, after dragging their heels and resisting the federal government's direction to pay for NP visits, the best they could do today is announce a limited pilot project with all sorts of conditions that still will require many to pay for healthcare.

"The Liberals want to trick you into voting for them this Fall and could simply end the pilot project after they get your vote. We encourage Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to not fall for this political spin, and instead, vote for a PC Government under Tony Wakeham who will simply make Nurse Practitioner visits free."

Petten said the impact has been especially harsh on rural communities. “For far too long, people—particularly in rural Newfoundland and Labrador—have been paying for primary care that should have been covered all along,” he said. “So, this will continue especially punishing people in rural Newfoundland and Labrador.”

He added that the government is placing unnecessary restrictions on how nurse practitioners operate. “The Liberals are dictating that nurse practitioners will carry a patient load of 700–800 people, instead of letting these highly trained professionals determine their own service models. This means that there will, in fact, be people who cannot access a Nurse Practitioner.”

The Progressive Conservative Party has long pledged to provide free access to nurse practitioners, and, if elected, will implement this policy.

"Under the Liberals, healthcare in Newfoundland and Labrador is the worst out of all the provinces in Canada," concluded Petten. "After 10 years, the Liberals have got to go."