Time running out on pharmacare legislation with only one month of scheduled days remaining in Parliament
The federal government is running out of time to introduce and pass a key piece of legislation in the Liberal-NDP deal.
In March 2022 the Liberals and federal New Democrats signed a supply and confidence agreement to keep the government in power until 2025. That deal included a list of actions the government would prioritize in exchange for the NDP's support on confidence matters.
The second priority listed in that document was to pass a Canada Pharmacare Act by the end of 2023. The House of Commons is scheduled to rise in one month's time on Dec. 15, with the Senate scheduled to rise one week after that.
Health Minister Mark Holland acknowledged the tight timeline Wednesday, but said he still believes it is doable after many "positive" conversations.
"I do absolutely think it is possible to introduce legislation. Whether or not we can get it through all stages is another question," he said from Winnipeg. "I think the key is to be able to have the conversations we have had manifest into something we can show Canadians."
Canadians currently pay for their prescription drugs through a mix of public plans, private insurance and out-of-pocket spending. A report commissioned for the government in 2019 estimated that Canadians currently rely on a "confusing patchwork" of more than 100 public prescription drug plans and more than 100,000 private plans.
Speaking in Toronto Wednesday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he's made it clear they want to see pharmacare for all Canadians, but he would not say whether New Democrats would exit their deal with the Liberals if that legislation isn't brought forward by year's end.
"We are still in negotiations. We are fighting hard," he said. "Right now the sticking point is the Liberals want to bring in legislation that appeases the big pharmaceutical industry. We don't care about them. We don't want to appease them. We want to ensure that Canadians can afford their medication."
Prescription drugs are seen on shelves at a pharmacy in Montreal, Thursday, March 11, 2021.(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz)
The Liberals presented a first draft of the bill to New Democrats earlier this fall but it was rejected. At the time, party members said it did not meet their expectations. Singh said Wednesday the NDP made it "very clear" the draft bill was "insufficient” for their support.
"The government is taking that back and working on some amendments, so we will monitor very closely the situation. We are pushing very hard," Singh said.
It does not appear a second draft has been presented to the New Democrats yet.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has said that many Canadians will end up with worse coverage from a government plan than what they get now from employers. He has also raised concerns that a national pharmacare program will result in higher taxes.
In an October report, the parliamentary budget officer estimated a single-payer universal drug plan would cost provincial and federal governments an additional $11.2 billion in 2024-2025, rising to $13.4 billion in 2027-2028. The report found that the plan would likely result in an estimated $1.4 billion in savings on drug expenditures in 2024-2025, rising to $2.2 billion in savings in 2027-2028.
"Our report is based on a national application of the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) drug formulary, with universal access and a standardized copayment scheme implemented by a single payer," wrote parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux.
The officer’s October report follows up on a costing estimate for a pharmacare plan published in 2017.
The Liberals did not incIude pharmacare in their most recent budget and it's unclear whether any money will be included in the upcoming fall economic update.
The CEO of the Canada Health Council believes the government should continuing negotiations, but warned "we can't wait forever."
"We have confidence there is going to be some agreement, but let's not rush to failure," said Steven Staples, the national director of policy and advocacy at the Canadian Health Coalition. "Let's take the time and make sure we get a good deal, a good arrangement for pharmacare now so that we can move forward into the future. If we make mistakes by trying to rush it, it will be much more difficult to make changes in the future."
This looming deadline comes as a new survey from Abacus Data shows the Liberals down in the polls and support for the NDP remains relatively static.
The results, based on a national survey of 2,000 adults conducted from Nov. 9 to 12, show that if an election were held on Nov. 15, 41 per cent of committed voters would vote for the Conservatives, 28 per cent for the Bloc, 25 per cent for the Liberals, 19 per cent for the NDP, and three per cent for the Greens. The survey also showed that the Conservatives are now leading in every region of the country except for Quebec.
"We'd likely see a large conservative majority we put out some see projections earlier in the week that showed the Conservatives would win over 200 seats, the liberals could be down to under 70," said Abacus Data CEO David Coletto.
The Conservative lead is the largest recorded since Abacus started collecting data. Coletto said his numbers show the Conservatives pulling votes from all parties, including disaffected Liberals and New Democrats.
"The Liberals at the worst they've ever been and the NDP are no better than they've been over the last three or four years," Coletto said.
With files from the Canadian Press
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Norovirus spreading at 'higher frequency' than expected in Canada
Norovirus is spreading at a 'higher frequency' than expected in Canada, specifically, in Ontario and Alberta, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Weather system that caused deadly U.S. tornadoes heads north to Canada, bringing rain and snow
The same storm system that brought deadly tornadoes to parts of the U.S. is heading north, hammering some Canadian provinces with rain and snow, according to latest forecasts.
Gold watch worn by richest passenger aboard Titanic sells for record-breaking US$1.5 million
A gold watch worn by John Jacob Astor IV, a member of the wealthy Astor family and the richest man aboard the Titanic, sold for a record-breaking US$1.485 million at auction on Saturday.
'Deeply unhappy' grocery shoppers plan to boycott Loblaw-owned stores in May
A boycott targeting Loblaw is gaining momentum online, with what could be thousands of shoppers taking their money elsewhere in May.
French actor Gerard Depardieu in police custody, legal team says
French actor Gérard Depardieu has been taken into police custody in Paris to face questioning, his lawyer told CNN Monday.
McGill University says pro-Palestinian demonstrators 'refuse' to collaborate, encampment violates policies
McGill University says the growing encampment on its lower field in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza violates its policies.
Trial for man accused of killing 4 Indigenous women in Winnipeg begins
The trial for the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg is set to begin on Monday.
These two chemists were friends for decades. A DNA test revealed they were actually cousins
Jim Arner was always interested in genealogy and discovering more about his ancestry. But after submitting his own DNA test, he learned an old work colleague was actually a distant cousin.
U.S. CDC says it's identified 1st documented cases of HIV transmitted through cosmetic needles
Three women diagnosed with HIV after getting 'vampire facial' procedures at an unlicensed medical spa are believed to be the first documented cases of people contracting the virus through a cosmetic procedure using needles.
Local Spotlight
Canada's oldest hat store still going strong after 90 years
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Road closed in Oak Bay, B.C., so elephant seal can cross
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
B.C. breweries take home awards at World Beer Cup
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Kitchener family says their 10-year-old needs life-saving drug that cost $600,000
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
Haida Elder suing Catholic Church and priest, hopes for 'healing and reconciliation'
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fergus, Ont. man feels nickel-and-dimed for $0.05 property tax bill
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.