On April 9, Carney made a speech addressing the rights of LGBTQ+ Canadians at a political event in Calgary, the first time he’d addressed LGBTQ+ issues during the election campaign.

The Yukon News reports that Dylan Robertson, a reporter with the Canadian Press, asked Carney if his government would protect access to gender-affirming care under the Canada Health Act, and also what would be done about “the backsliding” that Robertson claimed gender and sexual minorities in Canada are facing.

Carney responded to say he would defend the rights of “all Canadians,” stating: “We are all Canadians, but we all have different identities and distinctions, and one of the great strengths of this country is recognizing that people can be who they are, they can love who they love, they can live where they are, and it’s fundamentally important that the federal government is the defender of those rights, defender of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms”, adding: “access to health care in Canada is not a business, it is a fundamental right for all Canadians without exception.”