A vote in the House of Commons defeated an NDP bill that would have laid out the path to establishing a universal, single-payer, comprehensive and public pharmacare plan.
“Canadian families are struggling to pay for their prescription drugs and today the Liberals and Conservatives made it clear they’re not going to step in to help,” stated North-Island Powell River MP Rachel Blaney in a media release. “The Liberals have been talking about a pharmacare program for over 20 years but when it comes time to actually take action and make the lives of Canadians better, they won’t do it. We will keep fighting to get Canadians the support they need.”
Blaney stated that with one in five Canadians unable to afford the medication their doctors prescribe, and COVID-19 exposing the gaps in health care, a national, universal, public pharmacare program is needed now more than ever.
By opposing a bill that would pave the way for Canadian pharmacare, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals broke their promise to voters and abandoned their commitment to helping those in financial and medical need, stated Blaney.
She added that the Liberals weren’t the only ones to oppose this program; Conservative MPs also voted against the proposal to get Canadians affordable prescription drugs.
