Face of Nation : A re-elected Liberal government would introduce a national pharmacare program, Justin Trudeau promised Monday — though he wouldn’t say how much it would cost or when it would happen.
Speaking in Hamilton, Trudeau said a Liberal government would invest $6 billion as a “down payment” towards implementing pharmacare, ensuring universal family doctor access, and improving mental health services and palliative care.
The Liberal plan involves implementing a national list of drugs to be covered by the program and establishing the Canada Drug Agency to make the purchasing of medication more efficient and affordable for all Canadians.
The promise largely follows the recommendations of a blue-chip panel led by former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins that laid out a path to establishing a national pharmacare system over the next decade.
However, Trudeau did not say what the final bill will be, when he expected to have it in place, or how he expected to reach an agreement with provincial premiers with whom he is often at odds.
“We know that for people who have to take pills every day, the cost of medications represents a terrible financial barrier,” Trudeau said during an event at a health-sciences centre. “Under a re-elected Liberal government, we will work hard every day to make sure no Canadian has to choose between staying healthy and putting food on the table.”
The pledge follows a similar commitment from the NDP, who are proposing to spend $10 billion a year to ensure that all necessary medication and medical devices are free at the point of care starting in 2020.
Trudeau acknowledged the fact Monday even as he sought to attack the Conservatives by repeatedly asking who Canadians wanted to negotiate with Ontario Premier Doug Ford: Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer or himself.
“Who do you want standing up for you?” Trudeau asked during the campaign event, which started with a full attack on Ford’s record in office. “Who do you want negotiating with Doug Ford when it comes to your health care?”
Health-care negotiations between Ottawa and the provinces have traditionally been extremely fractious, and Trudeau faced questions about why Ford would want to work with him given his clear attack on the Ontario premier.
Trudeau pointed to his government having negotiated a new health accord over 2016 and 2017 as proof that a re-elected Liberal government would be able to lead a new round of such talks. At the time, Ford had not yet been elected, and there were seven Liberal premiers across the country. Right now there are two, as many Conservative premiers have recently been elected.
