Public supports Liberal-NDP deal for progress on dental, pharmacare

Public support remains high for the federal Liberal-NDP deal announced in March that could keep the Trudeau government in power for three years.

This week Nanos Research released poll results commissioned by the Globe and Mail that found nearly 60 per cent of Canadians were comfortable or somewhat comfortable with the agreement.

The confidence-and-supply agreement (CASA) guarantees NDP Parliamentary support for the Liberal minority government in exchange for progress on shared policy priorities. The agreement calls on the NDP and Liberals to work together until 2025 on seven key policy areas, including health, housing affordability, and action on climate change.

Responding to the deal in March, Canadian Health Coalition Chairperson Pauline Worsfold, RN, said, “This agreement has the potential to deliver significant improvements in public health care for patients, families, and frontline workers.” 

Health care priorities include a promise to pass a Canada Pharmacare Act by the end of 2023, and to launch a dental care program for low-income Canadians.

“Public health care is in crisis, and new investments into programs and continuing progress towards universal national pharmacare are needed urgently,” Worsfold said. “Filled prescriptions mean empty emergency rooms, and a universal single-payer pharmacare program not only saves money, but more importantly, saves lives.”

The Nanos poll confirms similarly strong levels of support by Ipsos and Abacus Data.