Singh says no pharmacare bill this year could break NDP’s deal with Liberals
Global News
The NDP's confidence-and-supply agreement signed with the Liberals last March includes promises by Trudeau's government to pass pharmacare legislation by the end of this year.
New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh says if the Liberal government does not introduce and pass a pharmacare bill in the House of Commons this year, he will consider it a deal-breaker.
His party signed a confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals last March, in which the NDP agreed to support the minority government in key votes until 2025.
In exchange, the Liberals would advance some shared priorities, including passing pharmacare legislation by the end of this year.
“We want to see a national framework presented in Parliament, and passed in Parliament before the end of the year,” Singh said Thursday during the second day of his party’s caucus retreat in Ottawa.
“That’s something we fought for in the agreement, we negotiated, and we expect to be there.”
The agreement stipulates that a pharmacare bill must be tabled by the end of 2023 and that a “National Drug Agency” will be tasked to “develop a national formulary of essential medicines and bulk purchasing plan by the end of the agreement.”
“If they don’t follow through with what we forced them to agree to, then we have the power or option of withdrawing our support,” Singh said.
A spokesman for the office of the minister of health said the Liberal government remains committed to pharmacare and is engaging with provinces and territories on the creation of a national program.
"Through this historic agreement, BC residents will receive public coverage for a range of contraceptives and diabetes medications at little to no cost."
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