Health Minister Mark Holland said the cabinet has not committed to passing a pharmacare bill by the end of this year.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Holland did not talk about the deal made in 2022 with the New Democrats to pass a pharmacare bill before December 31, 2023.“It’s not something I have committed to,” Holland testified at the Commons Health committee. “It is not something I have said.”There are 25 days left on the House calendar before MPs adjourn for the Christmas break. As of Friday, no pharmacare bill has been introduced.On March 22, 2022, the cabinet entered into a Supply and Confidence Agreement with the New Democrats, which included a commitment to pass a pharmacare bill by the end of 2023.“It has got to be passed by the end of this year,” New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh earlier told reporters.“Is that a deal breaker?” asked a reporter. “It is part of our agreement, so if they didn’t do that, they would be breaking the deal,” replied Singh.During a Commons Health committee meeting, Holland's refusal to commit to a pharmacare bill was questioned by Conservative MP Todd Doherty (Cariboo-Prince George, BC).“You have indicated you intend to have a universal, single-payer pharmacare program established by the end of the year. How much is this program going to cost Canadians?” asked Doherty.“No, what I’ve said is that taking action – ” replied Holland.“How much?” asked Doherty.“Well, you’re saying something I haven’t done,” replied Holland.“How much would it cost? Have you done the work?” asked Doherty.“I couldn’t say. It’s not something I have committed to. It is not something I have said. So you are asking me something I haven’t said or committed to,” replied Holland.“Have you done any work?…” asked Doherty.“There are many different projections of how much the cost would be,” replied Holland.“And what would that cost be?” asked Doherty.“There are many different numbers I have heard and we have not done any work to verify those numbers,” replied Holland.“So, as you stand right now, there is no work that has been done? There is no single-payer pharmacare coming in the next month?” asked Doherty.“I haven’t made a comment on it in one direction or another,” replied Holland.The Parliamentary Budget Office, in an October 12 report Cost Estimate of a Single Payer Universal Drug Plan, put costs at $11.2 billion in the first year. “We have to be responsible with dollars,” Holland told reporters on October 24.“Are we going to have a single-payer system?” asked a reporter. “That is the conversation we are having,” replied Holland.“The end of the year is coming much faster than I would like it to. In a specific sense, in terms of the timing, I think we have to get it right.”
Health Minister Mark Holland said the cabinet has not committed to passing a pharmacare bill by the end of this year.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Holland did not talk about the deal made in 2022 with the New Democrats to pass a pharmacare bill before December 31, 2023.“It’s not something I have committed to,” Holland testified at the Commons Health committee. “It is not something I have said.”There are 25 days left on the House calendar before MPs adjourn for the Christmas break. As of Friday, no pharmacare bill has been introduced.On March 22, 2022, the cabinet entered into a Supply and Confidence Agreement with the New Democrats, which included a commitment to pass a pharmacare bill by the end of 2023.“It has got to be passed by the end of this year,” New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh earlier told reporters.“Is that a deal breaker?” asked a reporter. “It is part of our agreement, so if they didn’t do that, they would be breaking the deal,” replied Singh.During a Commons Health committee meeting, Holland's refusal to commit to a pharmacare bill was questioned by Conservative MP Todd Doherty (Cariboo-Prince George, BC).“You have indicated you intend to have a universal, single-payer pharmacare program established by the end of the year. How much is this program going to cost Canadians?” asked Doherty.“No, what I’ve said is that taking action – ” replied Holland.“How much?” asked Doherty.“Well, you’re saying something I haven’t done,” replied Holland.“How much would it cost? Have you done the work?” asked Doherty.“I couldn’t say. It’s not something I have committed to. It is not something I have said. So you are asking me something I haven’t said or committed to,” replied Holland.“Have you done any work?…” asked Doherty.“There are many different projections of how much the cost would be,” replied Holland.“And what would that cost be?” asked Doherty.“There are many different numbers I have heard and we have not done any work to verify those numbers,” replied Holland.“So, as you stand right now, there is no work that has been done? There is no single-payer pharmacare coming in the next month?” asked Doherty.“I haven’t made a comment on it in one direction or another,” replied Holland.The Parliamentary Budget Office, in an October 12 report Cost Estimate of a Single Payer Universal Drug Plan, put costs at $11.2 billion in the first year. “We have to be responsible with dollars,” Holland told reporters on October 24.“Are we going to have a single-payer system?” asked a reporter. “That is the conversation we are having,” replied Holland.“The end of the year is coming much faster than I would like it to. In a specific sense, in terms of the timing, I think we have to get it right.”
