Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The reality is that this amendment does the exact same thing that was attempted in the other Conservative amendment, which is to limit national pharmacare.
I want to reiterate to all members that clause 11 of the bill, which sets out that a committee of experts, within one year of the date on which this act receives royal assent, will provide a written recommendation to the minister on “options for the operation and financing of national, universal, single-payer pharmacare.”
The intent is very clear, as we heard in repeated testimony from not only from those who are urging that we adopt this bill but also from those looking at phase two. The possible outcomes of that committee of experts could very well be to recommend moving immediately to the heart medication.
Earlier, Mr. Chair, I referenced my constituent, who lives a few blocks from my home and pays $1,000 a month for heart medication—