New Democratic Party members strongly urged their party to remain firm in negotiations regarding the establishment of a universal access to medications program, even if it means ending its political agreement with the Liberals led by Justin Trudeau.

The current Liberal government in Canada, which does not hold a majority of seats in the House of Commons, remains in power thanks to the support of New Democratic MPs. This is under a confidence and supply agreement, or support agreement without participation, signed between the two federal political formations, which expires in 2025.

At the meeting, members of the New Democratic Party expressed overwhelming support for their leader Jagmeet Singh and his parliamentary colleagues to use all the party's influence through the confidence and supply agreement with the Liberals to achieve the establishment of a medications access program for all Canadians, even if it means abandoning the agreement and possibly calling for elections.

The proposal was presented on October 14 at the party's political conference held in Hamilton, Ontario, where this was the number one emergency resolution, adopted unanimously, overcoming two proposals regarding the war between Gaza and Israel.

This proposal, which has now become part of the official policy of the New Democratic Party, cannot force Singh to backtrack on the agreement to support the Liberal government. However, it indicates that the group of New Democratic MPs in the House of Commons will have the backing of party members to abandon the agreement if the Liberals do not accept a universal public system for access to medications, which is a universal and single-payer system.

According to the resolution, the continuation of the confidence and supply agreement depends on government legislation that commits to a universal comprehensive public pharmaceutical program.

Singh used part of his opening speech on Saturday to defend the confidence and supply agreement and press the government to make more effort.

On his part, New Democratic Party health critic Don Davies supported the proposal regarding the medication access program, criticizing the Liberals for weakening a bill that has not yet been presented, which is expected to be passed later this year.

The minority Liberal government relies on the votes of New Democrats to pass legislation through a formal agreement signed by both parties. Under the terms of that confidence and supply agreement, or non-participation support agreement, the New Democratic Party agrees to support essential government legislation in exchange for the Liberals advancing many of the New Democratic Party’s policy priorities.

Also under the terms of that agreement, one of the policy priorities is the passage of the Canadian Pharmaceutical Care Act by the end of 2023, and then tasking the National Medicines Agency with creating a national formulary of essential medications and a bulk purchasing plan.

This issue could come to a head soon, with two months remaining in the House of Commons calendar. Davies stated that the New Democratic Party rejected the first draft of the bill because it did not commit to a single-payer system.