pharmacare

Canada's largest labour organization and the group that bills itself as the voice of business in this country have set aside their differences to jointly confront the economic fallout from the rampaging novel coronavirus — and they're hoping premiers can do the same when they meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The NDP have tabled a new bill that calls for a universal pharmacare plan in Canada.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says the economy has become such a mess under the Liberals that it would take a Conservative government five years to clean it up.

The NDP is promising to bring in a universal and comprehensive national pharmacare program targeted to begin in 2020 if the party wins the next federal election.

The federal Liberal government is promising a new agency to negotiate prescription drug prices for Canadians and try to drive down costs — a move billed as an "important step" on the path to an eventual national pharmacare plan.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath handily won her Hamilton-Centre riding Thursday night, though hopes of being Ontario's next premier were dashed just half an hour after polls closed.

There won't be any fireworks between the premiers of Alberta and British Columbia at the Western premiers conference this week, because Alberta Premier Rachel Notley isn't going.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is being pushed by backbenchers and grassroots Liberals to take a more progressive stance on issues such as pharmacare, prostitution and illegal drugs.

Many Canadians cannot afford their medication, so they skip doses, split pills, or simply don't fill their prescriptions. It's time for a universal pharmacare program, writes Canadian Labour Congress president Hassan Yussuff.