NDP Deal to Support Liberals Considered ‘Broken’ If Pharmacare Deadline Not Met: Singh

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks to the media after receiving a vote of support from 81 percent of the delegates present at the NDP Convention in Hamilton on Oct. 14, 2023. The Canadian Press/Peter Power

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has warned his party’s deal to support the Liberals hinges on meeting the pharmacare legislation’s March 1 deadline.

“If the deal is broken, all the conditions of the deal are broken; you can analyze what it means,” said Mr. Singh to reporters in Ottawa on Feb. 5.

The supply and confidence agreement established between the two parties in March 2022 outlines that the NDP will back the Liberals in matters of confidence votes and budget issues until June 2025. The party’s support comes on the condition that the government will endorse significant NDP initiatives, including dental care and pharmacare.

In December 2022, Mr. Singh warned that the NDP could withdraw its support for the Liberals if they did not address the health-care crisis in Canada effectively. The NDP escalated its efforts by introducing in June a private member’s bill focused on pharmacare to increase pressure on the Liberals.

Then-Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos responded by expressing doubts about the feasibility of passing the pharmacare legislation by year-end.

In July, Mark Holland was named health minister, and a month later he announced plans to introduce legislation for a universal pharmacare program in the fall.

By October, however, Mr. Holland noted that the financial constraints facing the country might complicate meeting the ambitious deadline set by the NDP.

In December, the NDP and Liberals set a revised deadline of March 1 for the introduction of pharmacare legislation in the House of Commons as a component of their supply and confidence agreement.

The NDP has been a staunch advocate for a universal, single-payer system, whereas the Liberals have emphasized looking at “responsible ways” to proceed.

Mr. Singh did not lay out any specific consequences of missing the March 1 deadline, repeating only that it would mean the “deal is broken” and urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau not to “break his promise.”

The Globe and Mail reported near the end of 2023 that someone closely familiar with the Liberal-NDP discussions said implementing a nationwide pharmacare program would be impractical due to the substantial expenses associated with a universal, single-payer drug insurance scheme. The plan would transfer directly to the state the financial responsibilities of employers and individuals with private insurance.

In 2019, a panel established by the Liberal administration determined that the pharmacare program, upon full implementation by 2027, would cost $15 billion annually. An October 2023 report by the Parliamentary Budget estimated that the program’s initial year cost for 2024–25 would be $11.2 billion, rising to $14.4 billion by 2027.

Asked by reporters why the NDP is supporting the Liberal government despite its unpopularity, Mr. Singh said he is trying to “force” the Liberals to work for Canadians.

“What we’re proposing is, Canadians elected us in this minority government,” he said.

“That was not our choice, I would rather have been prime minister. I respect what Canadians chose. And I’m using my power to get people the help that they need.”