At a closed-door meeting, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh warned Prime Minister Trudeau that there would be “consequences” if the government did not table a pharma care bill by March 1.

Such ultimatums are periodically issued by the New Democrats, who use the bipartisan agreement to support any bill at a vote to boost their credibility with voters. Coverage for a range of drugs was a key term of the agreement, and is set to take effect in 2025.

In November 2023, the Liberals conceded that they would not be able to pass the bill by this year, and were given the first warning from the NDP to expedite a decision on covering at least five essential drugs, including diabetes drugs. In response, Singh accused the government of trying to create a “plan that would satisfy the pharmaceutical industry and big insurance companies.”

Yuri Natchetoi