VICTORIA—A B.C. NDP government program aimed at recruiting American healthcare workers has brought 89 doctors, 42 nurse practitioners, 260 nurses and 23 allied health professionals to jobs in B.C in just one year. 

There are 105 new healthcare staff in Fraser Health, 72 in Vancouver Coastal, 97 on the Island, 83 in the Interior, and 31 in the North.

The B.C. Conservatives said the recruitment program was an “idiotic waste of taxpayers money” and called on the government to scrap it, despite a Canada-wide shortage of healthcare workers.

Chilliwack North MLA Heather Maahs: “I actually thought this was fake news. Or a spam account, or a troll. I’m dumbfounded. Free coffee! Yay, let’s move to BC. What an irresponsible, reckless, idiotic, waste of tax payers money.” (X, June 23, 2025)

Langley-Willowbrook MLA Jody Toor: “The NDP is celebrating the recruitment of just over 140 U.S. healthcare workers at a cost of $5 million in advertising. We should be asking: was this really money well spent?” (X, Sep 23, 2025)

Kelowna Centre MLA Kristina Loewen: “Actual ad from Gov of BC. Am I the only one who finds this embarrassing?” (Instagram, June 21, 2025)

Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird: “BC doesn’t need coffee trucks and recruitment tours.” (X, June 20, 2025)

Langley-Abbotsford MLA Harman Bhangu: “Can we at least get a refund for this cringe photo op?” (X, June 21, 2025)