The Trudeau government remains vague about the possibility that Quebec could benefit from a right of withdrawal with full compensation from the drug insurance program, which will be announced by the end of the week.
It's important not to criticize something that doesn't exist. “We have to wait for the bills to come forward,” Health Minister Mark Holland said Tuesday in response to a question from Bloc Québécois Parliamentary Leader Alain Therrien.
At the end of a preamble in which he criticized the Liberals' and New Democrats' spending propensity and reiterated that Ottawa would offer Canadians what Quebec already has, Mr. Therrien asked directly whether Quebec could fully exercise its right of withdrawal compensation.
The Liberals and New Democrats recently agreed on a drug insurance project after negotiations were essential to the survival of the deal that is expected to keep Justin Trudeau's government in power until 2025.
Minister Holland calls on the provinces to be patient
According to an NDP source, the bill notes that coverage for contraceptives and most medications used to treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes will initially be under a universal single-payer program.
In the foyer of the House of Commons, New Democratic Party (NDP) deputy leader Alexandre Boulerice assured that Quebec obviously had a right to leave with full compensation and that this would be part of his party's program for a long time.
The issue is part of discussions with the Liberal government, he said, refusing to disclose whether a provision to that effect would be included in the bill, saying it would violate parliamentary privilege since the legislative document has not yet been tabled.
But Mr Boulerice insisted the offer was so beneficial to workers that it was at least worth discussing to see what impact it would have on people's wallets.
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The deputy leader of the New Democratic Party, Alexandre Boulerice
Photo: Radio-Canada
For Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet, the bill appears positive thanks to Mr. Boulerice's comments on the right of withdrawal, while he feared that Ottawa would again intervene in an exclusively Quebec jurisdiction, in this case in the health sector.
Speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Minister Holland told a reporter who asked him about the issue that he would have to wait for the bill. He also called on the provinces to be patient, while Alberta has already announced that it does not want to take part in the program.
Everyone has to pause. When provinces say they will or won't participate in something even though they don't know what it will be, that's a little premature. […] It is clear that every province wants to increase access to medicines and reduce prices.
The Conservative leader avoids commenting
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre did not address the issue of drug insurance at his press conferences and, due to time constraints, almost systematically answered only five questions.
When Mr. Poilievre was asked in September whether he would fund a national, universal pharmacare program, he avoided answering the question but let it shine through. Maybe he wasn't keen on the idea. Mr. Poilievre, who wants to reduce the size of the state, particularly mentioned the idea that Canadians who already have private drug insurance could waive it.
The future bill should also set the framework for implementing a full, universal drug insurance system in the longer term, said the NDP source who spoke to The Canadian Press.
She clarified that the text of the law specifies that the formula chosen must comply with the Canada Health Act and that this law provides for a province to universally receive the full financial contribution of the federal government for the health services it provides.