Yesterday, Liberal leader Mark Carney told reporters on the campaign trail the Liberals won’t commit to expanding the pharmacare program just recently brought in thanks to Jagmeet Singh and the NDP – even though only three provinces and one territory have negotiated pharmacare agreements so far.
This is a stark reminder of why it’s so important for workers to have a strong voice in Parliament. To stop the Liberals’ rapid shift to the right under investment banker Mark Carney, workers need New Democrats now more than ever to stand up for programs like pharmacare, to ensure millions of Canadians aren’t excluded from this transformative new program.
Nobody wants Pierre Poilievre to become Prime Minister. But we shouldn’t be giving the Liberals a blank cheque either.
Today, the Liberals may be waffling on pharmacare. Tomorrow, it could be dental care, or anti-scab legislation. One thing is clear: over the years, we have seen Parliament do its best work when the Liberals have a strong group of NDP MPs pushing them and delivering real progress for workers and our priorities. That’s something CUPE members and all Canadians need to keep in mind as election day approaches.