Conservative motion could force election and wipe out Pharmacare Act

A high-stakes political drama is unfolding today in Parliament that has the potential to force an election and wipe out national universal pharmacare. The gamesmanship sparked by the Conservatives demonstrates the extreme precarity of the government’s pharmacare legislation, Bill C-64.

Conservatives to introduce non-confidence motion

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre began the day by announcing to reporters in Parliament that he planned to introduce a “non-confidence” motion next week. He challenged the NDP and the Bloc Québé­cois to vote with his party to bring down the Liberal minority government.

Poilievre has been goading NDP leader Jagmeet Singh to defeat the government in the wake of his decision to “rip up” his cooperation deal with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. If Poilivere gets his way and his non-confidence motions passes on Tuesday, an election would be called right away and all Parliamentary business would cease.

This would leave Bill C-64, the long-promised Pharmacare Act, dead on arrival because it has not yet been passed by the Senate, which has delayed progress on pharmacare for months since it was passed by the House of Commons last June, as I explained last week. 

Canadian Health Coalition responds swiftly

The Canadian Health Coalition responded swiftly, issuing a statement at lunchtime in Ottawa by chairperson Jason MacLean calling on all MPs to oppose the Conservatives non-confidence motion. The statement was delivered to every MP and Senator, hundreds of journalists and pro-public healthcare groups across the country.

“I am urging all Members of Parliament who support public health care and meeting the needs of millions of Canadians without coverage of essential prescription medicine to vote against the non-confidence motion to be tabled by the Conservative Party of Canada,” said MacLean. “I call on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to not put his personal ambitions before the needs of people in Canada.”

Bloc Quebecois will not support the Conservatives’ effort to defeat Liberals

Shortly after the Health Coalition’s letter was released, Bloc Québé­cois Leader Yves-François Blanchet announced his party would not vote with the Conservatives to bring down the government. At press time, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has not announced how his party will vote, but that is now moot because numerically the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois have enough seats to defeat the Conservatives’ non-confidence motion.

Pharmacare hangs by a thread

National universal pharmacare hangs by a thread right now as the Senate holds hearings on Bill C-64. Health Minister Mark Holland, fresh off announcing an MOU with the B.C. government which would be the first province to join pharmacare, will be a witness at the Senate this afternoon, where he will likely urge the senators to quickly approve the bill, without time-consuming amendments.