Liberals express dedication to pharmacare, exploring ‘prudent approaches’ for advancement, says Trudeau.
Despite the acknowledgment from the lead legislative manager that the Liberals may not fulfill their promise of a pharmacare bill by year-end, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau affirms the government’s commitment while emphasizing the exploration of “responsible ways” to proceed. Responding to questions about the approaching deadline and doubts regarding the Liberals’ dedication to a universal drug plan, Trudeau asserts readiness to present a bill. He highlights ongoing collaboration with the NDP to ensure the proposed legislation is as ambitious as possible, considering the prevailing economic circumstances.
In 2023, enacting the “Canada Pharmacare Act” to establish the groundwork for the drug plan stood as a fundamental element of the two-party agreement. This agreement aimed to provide parliamentary stability for the minority Liberal government until June 2025, contingent upon advancing progressive policies.
“People are paying too much for medications in this country. They should never have to decide between paying for rent or food and medications, and that’s what we’re working on together,” Trudeau said.
When queried about the feasibility of implementing a multibillion-dollar national pharmacare plan within the constraints of the new commitment to keep deficits below one per cent of GDP, Prime Minister Trudeau emphasized that they have already implemented measures to reduce drug costs. He stated that the government will persist in responsible efforts to advance the plan.
These questions arise with less than three weeks remaining in the House sitting calendar, and the NDP has indicated that if additional time is required to fulfill the confidence-and-supply deal commitment on pharmacare legislation, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh will anticipate “more results” in return.
Sharing her perspective on the timeline, Government House Leader Karina Gould expressed confidence that the two parties will reach consensus on a satisfactory draft bill. However, she acknowledged, “I don’t think we’re going to get it passed by the end of this year, but we’ll definitely keep working.”
Health Minister Mark Holland, addressing reporters earlier on Tuesday, highlighted the ongoing constructive negotiations with the federal New Democrats. The aim is to reach an agreement on at least presenting the legislation before the year concludes. As of now, the Liberals have not made any requests for an extension of time.
“I said from the beginning on this that what matters is to get it right,” Holland adds, Dismissing the notion that influence from prominent pharmaceutical companies is the cause of what NDP House Leader Peter Julian labeled as the Liberals‘ “inertia” on this matter. “When these conversations are as difficult and as challenging as they are, it is easy for time to pass by and for, you know, conversations to take more time,” he said.
Addressing reporters on Tuesday, the NDP’s Julian asserted that, in his view, the government “requires additional time.” He pointed out that his party rejected the initial version of the draft bill presented by the Liberals. However, he appeared to downplay the notion that this issue is significant enough for them to consider breaking their two-party agreement.
“They’re going to have to provide more help to Canadians and that is something that we will continue to push on,” Julian said
“Our benchmark is moving forward on pharmacare so that we have that foundation in place and we know that there are other steps that will follow over the next couple of years. But for us, that foundation is vitally important and we’re going to continue to push for that,” Julian said.
Dr. Eric Hoskins, who led the 2019 Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, expressed optimism in an interview with Vassy Kapelos on CTV News Channel’s Power Play on Tuesday. He stated that he’s “very hopeful” that the federal government can present legislation by the December deadline.
Despite this, he acknowledged that both Trudeau and Singh are making the “absolutely right decision” by not becoming overly constrained by a specific timeline. Hoskins, a former Liberal health minister in Ontario, emphasized his belief that ensuring pharmacare becomes a reality is an “absolute necessity.”
He mentioned that he will be observing the type of model that is introduced, emphasizing that he and his advisory council proposed a universal single-payer public program for all Canadians.
“It’s not only a pocketbook issue, this is great policy,” he said, stating that Canadians ought not to be forced into a situation where they must decide between affording essentials like food, heating their homes, or buying medication.
“I‘m confident that the folks that are involved in these negotiations know that and want to make this happen.”
