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

Canada aims to boost Arctic defence capacity

Anand says Ottawa has already committed almost $40 billion towards that end, and the result will be "a new northern-approach surveillance system" that will detect threats farther and farther north to protect Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic.

Canada aims to boost Arctic defence capacity

Hit-and-run driver charged in connection with the death of a 24-year-old pedestrian in Kitsilano last summer

The victim and a friend were crossing West 4th Avenue at Arbutus Street around 11:30 p.m. June 19, 2022 when he was struck and killed. The driver failed to stop or offer assistance.

Hit-and-run driver charged in connection with the death of a 24-year-old pedestrian in Kitsilano last summer

Tim Hortons parent company plots growth

Patrick Doyle — credited with having the Midas touch after transforming Domino's lagging sales into meteoric growth — told investors during a wide-ranging conversation on Wednesday that each of the company's brands is positioned for momentum and growth.

Tim Hortons parent company plots growth

MPs frustrated over Rolling Truck Age Program

A letter from Surrey, B.C., MP Randeep Sarai says he has met with truckers who have complied with the new measures but still find it unreasonable and worry about the requirement to replace more vehicles from their fleets down the road.

MPs frustrated over Rolling Truck Age Program

Here's what you need to know to get a head start on filing your 2022 taxes

The filing deadline of April 30 falls on a Sunday this year, so Canadians have until May 1 to finish filing their taxes. But a looming strike for CRA workers may be on the horizon. In the fall, the CRA said about $1.4 billion in uncashed checks was sitting in its coffers.

Here's what you need to know to get a head start on filing your 2022 taxes

Late winter chill frosts much of B.C.

Extreme cold or Arctic outflow warnings are posted for the central and north coasts, Chilcotin and Peace River areas and the southeastern corner of B.C. Metro Vancouver and the south coast could expect snow this weekend, as models show five to 10 centimetres possible over Metro Vancouver by Sunday.