National

Clock ticking as pharmacare left out of budget

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 29 Mar, 2023 02:16 PM

OTTAWA - One of the Liberals' outstanding promises for 2023 in their deal with the NDP was conspicuously absent from the federal budget.

The confidence-and-supply agreement requires the government to table legislation on pharmacare by the end of the calendar year in exchange for the NDP's support on key votes in the House of Commons.

Both parties say that is still on track to happen, but even if a bill is introduced by December, it's unclear when a pharmacare system could be up and running.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says that when the deal was struck, the Liberals wouldn't go beyond promising a legislative framework.

When I say I'm going to fight for you – I mean it.

This week's budget shows that when New Democrats use our power, we get real things done for people.

We've saved many families up to $1700 a year.

But I'm not done.

I'll keep fighting to tip the scales in your favour. pic.twitter.com/3TRQ4swk93
— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) March 29, 2023

Singh claimed a win after Tuesday's federal budget announced the government would pump billions into a new dental-care program.

But while political experts and Conservatives are calling it an NDP-inspired budget, New Democrats say that if it was truly their budget, money for pharmacare would've been part of it.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Man in B.C.'s north dies after hit by snow plow

The pedestrian was on a street in a business area of Fort St. John when he was hit Monday. A statement from RCMP says bystanders provided first aid but the unresponsive victim was pronounced dead in hospital.

Man in B.C.'s north dies after hit by snow plow

Safety board to release report on B.C. tug sinking

Transportation Safety Board chair Kathy Fox and Clifford Harvey, the director of marine investigations, will hold a news conference to reveal the findings on the sinking of the tug Ingenika in February 2021. The tug was towing a barge and had a captain and two crew members aboard when it took on water and sank in Gardner Canal.

Safety board to release report on B.C. tug sinking

Metro Vancouver homeless count underway

The association says its volunteers try to be as accurate as possible in order to understand who is living without safe, affordable, appropriate housing, and why they are in that situation. That count was completed less than a week before the pandemic was declared and it identified 3,634 people who were experiencing homelessness.

Metro Vancouver homeless count underway

3 youths arrested for an alleged unprovoked attack with a hammer in Port Moody

During the physical altercation, one youth allegedly struck the victim with a hammer and another youth allegedly brandished a knife. A total of three suspects fled the scene and soon after, officers located them at a Skytrain station.

3 youths arrested for an alleged unprovoked attack with a hammer in Port Moody

Appointment of new Surrey Ethics Commissioner Peter Johnson

Mr. Peter Johnson is a partner with B.C. law firm, Stewart McDannold Stuart, and possesses more than 30 years of knowledge and experience providing legal advice and assistance to local governments throughout the province on a wide variety of matters.

Appointment of new Surrey Ethics Commissioner Peter Johnson

PBO: Plenty of immigration staff to meet goals

Yves Giroux says his office analyzed the cost of processing applications for economic immigrants through the express entry system for five fiscal years. For the 2022-23 fiscal year, the report said Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has 65 per cent more staff than needed to process applications on time.