Liberal Inaction Could Cost People of Province $84 Million

NL NDP
7 days ago
2 min read

For Immediate Release

Aug. 11, 2025

Provincial NDP Leader Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre) says it is inconceivable that this province could lose $84 million from the federal government because the provincial Liberals never bothered to sign up for the pharmacare program.

The Canadian Press has reported that the federal health minister “would not commit” to signing pharmacare deals with those provinces not already enrolled; Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office chimed in to say its election promise was only to protect those agreements already signed.

“The previous iteration of the federal Liberals reluctantly agreed to this legislation in order to keep the support of the federal NDP,” said Dinn. “Now that they’re a majority, they’re backpedaling on their promise to free Canadians from the costs of diabetes medicine and contraception.

“The worst part is that our provincial government didn’t do the work to negotiate and sign a deal for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. Because of their refusal to act, thousands of people in this province will continue to pay out of pocket for vital medications.”

Dinn notes that he and colleague Jordan Brown asked the provincial Liberals for progress on the negotiations many times, receiving little but vague reassurances in response.

“Successive health ministers told us that pharmacare negotiations were ‘in progress’,” Dinn said. “Clearly, no progress was made. People in provinces with faster-acting governments (BC, Manitoba, Yukon and P.E.I) are covered. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are not.

“The Liberals have cost the people of this province an estimated $84 million and those people have the right to demand an explanation.”

-30-

For more information, contact Jean Graham, p/t 709-749-1018 or jeangraham@gov.nl.ca