Watch the Health Coalition take on Big Pharma in Parliament

The landmark legislation to bring about national universal pharmacare is fighting its way through Parliament. But pharmacare is up against powerful opponents.

The big pharmaceutical and insurance companies are doing everything they can to derail Bill C-64, the Pharmacare Act. The Conservatives have tried to slow and water it down, too.

On Thursday, the Canadian Health Coalition was among a handful of public health care advocates and experts to speak out strongly in favour of pharmacare at the all-party Standing Committee on Health (HESA).

The Canadian Health Coalition advocates for the Pharmacare Act, Bill C-64, at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health (HESA). Representing the CHC is Steven Staples, National Director, Policy and Advocacy, with Mike Bleskie, Advocate, Type 1 Diabetes. They receive questions from Yasir Naqvi, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, and Peter Julian MP, NDP Health Critic.

The first speaker was Minister of Health Mark Holland, who was harangued incessantly by the Conservatives.

Directly following the Health Minister, the Canadian Health Coalition faced off with an alliance of private insurance companies and generic drug manufacturers who opposed public pharmacare because it will hurt their profits.

Our team worked together on a plan, and I was honoured to represent our coalition in Parliament, along with my colleague Mike Bleskie, a well-spoken and expert advocate for people with diabetes.

Mike and I answered thoughtful questions from the NDP Health Critic Peter Julian and Liberal Parliamentary Secretary for Health Yasir Naqvi.

The Canadian Health Coalition has been pushing hard for pharmacare this year:

• In February, we organized over 100 volunteers to meet with MPs and Senators in Ottawa to push for pharmacare.
• We were inside Parliament during the Pharmacare Act‘s historic introduction on February 29.
• We issued a hard-hitting joint letter on March 4 signed by a broad range of civil society leaders and health care experts supporting Bill C-64.
• On May 7 we held a day-of-action including a national press conference in Ottawa, met with key officials, and launched a Canada-wide letter-writing campaign to reach over 1 million Canadians (over 13,000 letters sent already!).
• Our social media video includes voices from frontline workers and activists across Canada welcoming Bill C-64.

Please be sure to send your letter to your Member of Parliament to help get the Pharmacare Act passed as soon as possible.