Health Minister Mark Holland is calling on the federal NDP to give the Liberal government more time in power to sign bilateral deals on pharmacare.

B次元官网网址淚 would put it back to (NDP Leader) Jagmeet Singh B次元官网网址� why are you in such a rush for an election? If pharmacare is the priority that you say it is, then why donB次元官网网址檛 you wait until October so that we can get the business of the nation done?B次元官网网址� Holland told a news conference in Halifax, where he met with his provincial and territorial counterparts this week.

Pharmacare and the national dental-care program were key parts of the supply-and-confidence deal that saw the NDP keep the minority Liberals in power for more than two years.

The New Democrats pushed particularly hard for the pharmacare legislation to be passed, something Holland said was B次元官网网址渋ncredibly difficultB次元官网网址� to do. The bill was introduced last February and became law in October after months of debate in the House of Commons and the Senate.

Earlier on Thursday, Singh reiterated that New Democrats will vote to bring down the minority Liberal government.

B次元官网网址淚 want to be really clear. We are still going to be voting against the government at the end of March,B次元官网网址� Singh said at a press conference in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., where he called on the government to bring Parliament back to pass emergency measures to alleviate the impact of U.S. tariffs.

Parliament is set to resume on March 24, after the Liberals select their next leader on March 9.

The fixed-election date is in October but opposition parties have pledged to vote non-confidence in the Liberals before then, putting Canadians on a likely path to a spring election.

Holland has been working to sign bilateral deals with provinces and territories that would see the federal government cover the cost of birth control and diabetes medications.

He said he expects more deals to be signed B次元官网网址渧ery, very soonB次元官网网址� but warned the process takes time. Bilateral deals, he said, B次元官网网址渁re done through finding common ground, are done through respecting provincial jurisdiction, and theyB次元官网网址檙e done through working through the complicated issues of actually making a deal work.B次元官网网址�

In a statement issued in response to Holland, NDP health critic Peter Julian accused the Liberals of being cynical.

B次元官网网址淭his is another Liberal ploy to buy time at the expense of Canadians. They are willing to withhold birth control and insulin to buy more time for their new leader,B次元官网网址� Julian said.

B.C. has signed a memorandum of understanding with the federal government, but not a final agreement.

Manitoba already covers the cost of contraceptives and New Brunswick has promised to do the same. Coverage of diabetes medications remains a patchwork across the country.

Eric Hoskins, the former Ontario health minister who chaired a national advisory council on pharmacare, said there is B次元官网网址渁 very small window of timeB次元官网网址� for the provinces to get deals signed. He called the deals B次元官网网址渁 gift from Ottawa.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 really no downside (for the provinces and territories). ThereB次元官网网址檚 massive upside in terms of access to medicines for their citizens,B次元官网网址� he said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has said he rejects the governmentB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渞adical planB次元官网网址� for pharmacare and the NDP and Liberals are warning he would kill the program if elected.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 unlikely the Conservatives would continue to pursue this, and so, in absence of a federal partner whoB次元官网网址檚 willing to negotiate contracts with provinces and territories?B次元官网网址� Hoskins said. B次元官网网址淚f that doesnB次元官网网址檛 exist, the funds wonB次元官网网址檛 flow.B次元官网网址�