NDP Attempts to Prod Liberals Into Action on Pharmacare by Tabling Its Own Bill

New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh speaks before caucus, in Ottawa, Mar. 29, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party has tabled its own pharmacare legislation in the House of Commons, showing the New Democrats are no longer content to wait for the Liberals to make good on their promise.

The NDP and Liberals struck a confidence-and-supply agreement last year that would see the NDP support the government on key votes to hold an election off until 2025 in exchange for progress on NDP priorities.

One of the conditions of that deal was that the Liberals make progress toward a universal pharmacare program by passing legislation before the end of this year.

The deal was not specific about what that legislation should include.

Singh and his health critic Don Davies say they’ve since lost faith in the government’s commitment to pharmacare and want to take matters into their own hands.

The NDP version of the bill stipulates that a federal pharmacare program must be universal, single-payer and public, and Singh says that’s the approach he wants the government to take.