July 26, 2023 – Ottawa, ON: The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) welcomes the appointment of Mark Holland as Canada's new Minister of Health, announced today as part of the cabinet shuffle by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Minister Holland will play a key role in advancing healthcare initiatives, and this change in cabinet positions him as a key figure in the roll-out of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) this Fall.
“CDA looks forward to collaborating with Minister Holland and his team at Health Canada as a trusted partner,” says CDA President, Dr. Heather Carr. "We are eager to build strong relationships with the Minister and other newly appointed ministers as we work together to ensure the successful implementation of the CDCP."
Holland previously served in the Government House Leader position since 2021. He will replace Jean-Yves Duclos, who served as the Minister of Health from 2021. Duclos has already been sworn in as the new Minister of Public Services and Procurement.
“CDA is proud to have worked closely with Jean-Yves Duclos, and we are thankful for his significant contributions in prioritizing access to oral health care for Canadians and for playing a key role in this government’s overall agenda and launching the Canada Dental Benefit last December,” adds Dr. Carr.
We are hopeful that Minister Holland’s leadership and dedication will help advance a sustainable federally administered oral health program – one that takes into consideration our key policy recommendations to positively impact the oral and overall health of Canadians, and one that continues to preserve and promote employer-provided dental coverage.
About the Canadian Dental Association
The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) is the national voice for dentistry dedicated to the promotion of optimal oral health, an essential component of general health, and to the advancement and leadership of a unified profession. CDA, a non-regulatory authority, is a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization whose corporate members are Canada's provincial and territorial dental associations (PTDAs). CDA represents over 21,000 practicing dentists from coast to coast to coast.
Media Contact:
Jeff D’Andrea
Media Relations Specialist
Spécialiste des relations avec les médias
Canadian Dental Association
613-523-7963
media@cda-adc.ca
