NDP interim leader Don Davies is accusing the Liberal government of misleading Canadians about its intentions on national pharmacare, calling the government’s response to a long-awaited expert report “shockingly dismissive” and “politically dishonest.” The report in question — commissioned under the Pharmacare Act and delivered to the government in October — lays out a roadmap for creating a universal, single-payer drug coverage system, but the Liberals have declined to endorse or commit to its recommendations.
Speaking in an interview this week, Davies said the government appears to be distancing itself from its own expert panel, even though pharmacare was a central promise in the supply-and-confidence agreement the NDP negotiated with the Liberals during Justin Trudeau’s minority government. The Pharmacare Act required Ottawa to set up an expert committee and receive recommendations on the design of a universal system. That committee proposed fully funding a list of essential medicines that would cover more than 90 percent of prescriptions nationwide and offering them at no cost through provincial health cards. It also urged Ottawa to avoid time-consuming bilateral funding negotiations with provinces by creating an independent body to manage the formulary and lead implementation.
But when Health Minister Marjorie Michel was asked in late November whether the government planned to move ahead with those recommendations, she offered no commitments, saying only that the government was reviewing the report and that its findings were “non-binding.” She also rejected the idea of bypassing bilateral negotiations, insisting that intergovernmental agreements remained her priority.
Davies said the response suggests the government has already decided against the model proposed by its own experts. He also criticized Michel for not meeting with the advisory committee, despite the group’s requests. No federal cabinet minister has met with the committee since its report was released. Committee chair Dr. Nav Persaud told reporters last week that silence from the government signals that other issues are being prioritized, warning that pharmacare is needed now more than ever as the Canada-U.S. trade dispute threatens private drug coverage and could inflate medication costs through tariffs.
The government’s lack of engagement has deepened concerns among advocates who worry Ottawa is abandoning plans for a national system. Committee member Amy Lamb said the report represents a nation-building opportunity grounded in Canadian values, but its future now appears uncertain.
Under the Pharmacare Act, Ottawa is required to negotiate coverage for contraceptives and certain diabetes medications as the first phase of the program. Only four jurisdictions — British Columbia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and Yukon — have signed agreements so far, and the Liberals spent months earlier this year signaling they might not finalize deals with the remaining provinces and territories. Advocates say this patchwork approach leaves many Canadians at a disadvantage depending on where they live.
Davies argues the Liberals continue to “hoodwink Canadians,” saying they talk publicly about supporting drug coverage while failing to advance any meaningful plan. The criticism comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney faces pressure to clarify his government’s direction. During the election campaign, the Liberals pledged to protect pharmacare and dental care programs, but Carney has so far avoided committing to a nationwide expansion. His government’s first budget, released in November, included no new pharmacare funding. More than 60 percent of the $1.5 billion allocated in the 2024 budget for Phase 1 has already been committed to the four signed agreements.
The expert committee estimated that covering essential medicines would cost between $6 billion and $10 billion annually, though competitive bulk purchasing and savings from existing provincial programs could bring the net cost down to around $3 billion a year.
For Davies, the issue is clear: the government must honour the law it passed and complete the first phase of pharmacare. Whether the Liberals intend to move beyond that remains the central — and increasingly political — question.