Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I also want to thank you again for giving us plenty of notice. You wrote to us two weeks ago, letting us know about amendments and the timetable required. That gave us adequate time to prepare amendments.
I would not support this particular amendment. It limits the scope, purpose and principles of the pharmacare bill. The majority of witnesses were very clear about this being important legislation. It will make a difference in people's lives. They want to see the bill adopted, not changed or, in this case, limited in the scope of pharmacare. They want to see it move forward. There was particularly compelling testimony from people with diabetes who are paying $1,000 or sometimes $1,500 per month for diabetes medication. That is a struggle for them each and every day. They have to put food on the table. They have to keep a roof over their head. At the same time, they have to pay for medication.
As you know, Mr. Chair, every other country that has universal health care—the NDP, of course, under Tommy Douglas, fought hard in a minority Parliament to get universal health care—has universal pharmacare. To limit the scope or purpose of the act, to my mind, does a disservice not only to all those who are going to benefit from pharmacare in its first stage—which is for diabetes medication and contraception—but also to all those who are looking to see the next stage of pharmacare.
I particularly flag constituents in my riding. They are paying $1,000 a month for heart medication. If they don't take that heart medication—it's very similar to diabetes medication—they die. They and their families are forced to come up with $1,000 each and every month. Any member of Parliament who believes in fighting against affordability issues....
Of course, under the previous government—the Conservative government—we saw housing prices double and food bank lineups double. Tragically, we've seen the same thing under the current government. I think members of Parliament are all aware of the affordability issues that have happened over the last 17 years—the doubling and doubling again of housing prices, and the doubling and doubling again of food bank lineups.
We need to start providing this relief. The NDP's dental care program has already helped 100,000 seniors access dental care. This pharmacare bill, once it's passed and once the agreements are negotiated by the minister of health, will help six million Canadians with diabetes and nine million Canadians who look for contraception.
If we're concerned about affordability, we should all be voting for the bill, not limiting its purpose. That's why I'm voting no on this amendment.