In this episode, learn about the importance of single-payer pharmacare and online child protection, and why the Tories are fighting to protect kids online from online harm. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's announcement that pharmacare will cover birth control and contraceptives across the country is a step in the right direction.
00:00:00.000We know in Canada, one in four Canadians skips their pill, doesn't fill out a prescription because it's too expensive.
00:00:08.240So to be able to announce to Canadians that we are forcing the Liberal government to move forward to cover two classes of drugs with a single-payer public program to cover contraceptives and diabetes is historic.
00:00:23.060We're proud of that. It's going to mean for a lot of people, for millions of Canadians, they're going to be able to save their money.
00:00:27.720They're going to be able to stay healthier. For people living with diabetes, this is a life-saving and very hopeful message to them.
00:00:35.860For them, many people are not taking the medication they need. They're not taking their insulin, they're not getting their blood tested, and it's costing them thousands of dollars out of pocket that they just can't afford.
00:00:46.100And so for those Canadians right now who are hearing this, we're going to give you some hope. We're going to cover diabetes medication across this country.
00:00:53.000It's going to save people money, it's going to keep them healthier, and it's going to take some of the burden off of our healthcare system.
00:00:58.580Because we know what happens when people don't take the medication they need.
00:01:01.480They end up getting more and more sick, and they end up in the emergency room. So we're going to save people.
00:01:06.060For people who need contraceptives, one of my dear friends who used to work at a women's clinic tells me that for the days that they would provide contraceptives,
00:01:15.180people would wait for hours and hours in line to get access to contraceptives, and that often they would run out of contraceptives before serving everyone in line.
00:01:24.320This is going to mean for a lot of people, real access to the right to choose. Not just a right, but access to that right.
00:01:31.540And we firmly believe in it, and we're very proud that we can deliver contraceptive coverage across the country.
00:01:36.500We've also been able to force this government to move ahead with legislation that clearly, specifically will cite single-payer, universal, and public,
00:01:44.920and the Canada Health Act, and the principles that guide the Canada Health Act, which reinforce public single-payer pharmacare.
00:01:53.040This is something that we force the Liberals to do, and let it be known that this is not a coincidence,
00:01:59.360that the Liberals have promised this for 30 years and broken that promise, and it is no coincidence that now they are moving ahead
00:02:07.500with the first national pharmacare program because New Democrats forced them to do so.
00:02:12.660This is not something the Liberals are going to do anyways. This is not something that they wanted to do, and we sped it up.
00:02:17.240We forced them to do something they were never going to do otherwise.
00:02:20.860And we know the Conservatives, where they stand on this, they want to cut health care.
00:02:25.000They want to cut dental care. They want to cut pharma care. They want to cut investments that make people's lives better.
00:02:31.760That's what Conservatives do. Ask anyone who lives in a Conservative province.
00:02:36.120Conservatives cut health care, education, everything that families and workers need.
00:02:41.040It's no different at the federal level. That's exactly what they want to do.
00:02:44.280So we are going to continue to push forward and make sure people can get some relief, get some break,