Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns says the Liberal government should approve the NDP’s universal pharmacare plan.
The party tabled the bill in the House of Commons yesterday. Johns says this is something the Liberals have promised for a very long time.
“We’re calling on the Liberal government to follow through with their promise to Canadians that they’ve made over 23 years ago instead of getting and helping the pharmaceutical industries getting bigger profits.”
“They say all the right things but they keep putting the powerful drug companies first and so this is the first opportunity that we’ve had to make them make a decision on whether or not they are going to follow through with their promise,” Johns added.
The pharmacare plan would give all Canadians access to free prescription medication.
Johns says “No one should have to face the impossible choice between paying rent or filling a prescription and that’s happening in our communities, right in our riding.”
He added that if the Liberals don’t approve the tabled bill, the trust in them from everyday Canadians will be broken.
“It’s not a confidence motion but it’s a motion that will hurt the credibility of this Liberal government if they choose to vote against it. It’s a campaign promise they’ve made, it’s something that we’re laying early out in the mandate, we don’t want them to drag their feet on this,” says Johns.
“If the Liberals actually want to help Canadian families, they can work with us and we can all work together to deliver the universal pharmacare that people need.”
Currently, Canada is the only country in the world that has a universal health care plan, but no national pharmacare plan to go along with it.
