Health Minister Mark Holland is calling on the federal NDP to give the Liberal government more time in power to sign bilateral deals on pharmacare.

香蕉视频直播淚 would put it back to (NDP Leader) Jagmeet Singh 香蕉视频直播� why are you in such a rush for an election? If pharmacare is the priority that you say it is, then why don香蕉视频直播檛 you wait until October so that we can get the business of the nation done?香蕉视频直播� Holland told a news conference in Halifax, where he met with his provincial and territorial counterparts this week.

Pharmacare and the national dental-care program were key parts of the supply-and-confidence deal that saw the NDP keep the minority Liberals in power for more than two years.

The New Democrats pushed particularly hard for the pharmacare legislation to be passed, something Holland said was 香蕉视频直播渋ncredibly difficult香蕉视频直播� to do. The bill was introduced last February and became law in October after months of debate in the House of Commons and the Senate.

Earlier on Thursday, Singh reiterated that New Democrats will vote to bring down the minority Liberal government.

香蕉视频直播淚 want to be really clear. We are still going to be voting against the government at the end of March,香蕉视频直播� Singh said at a press conference in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., where he called on the government to bring Parliament back to pass emergency measures to alleviate the impact of U.S. tariffs.

Parliament is set to resume on March 24, after the Liberals select their next leader on March 9.

The fixed-election date is in October but opposition parties have pledged to vote non-confidence in the Liberals before then, putting Canadians on a likely path to a spring election.

Holland has been working to sign bilateral deals with provinces and territories that would see the federal government cover the cost of birth control and diabetes medications.

He said he expects more deals to be signed 香蕉视频直播渧ery, very soon香蕉视频直播� but warned the process takes time. Bilateral deals, he said, 香蕉视频直播渁re done through finding common ground, are done through respecting provincial jurisdiction, and they香蕉视频直播檙e done through working through the complicated issues of actually making a deal work.香蕉视频直播�

In a statement issued in response to Holland, NDP health critic Peter Julian accused the Liberals of being cynical.

香蕉视频直播淭his is another Liberal ploy to buy time at the expense of Canadians. They are willing to withhold birth control and insulin to buy more time for their new leader,香蕉视频直播� Julian said.

B.C. has signed a memorandum of understanding with the federal government, but not a final agreement.

Manitoba already covers the cost of contraceptives and New Brunswick has promised to do the same. Coverage of diabetes medications remains a patchwork across the country.

Eric Hoskins, the former Ontario health minister who chaired a national advisory council on pharmacare, said there is 香蕉视频直播渁 very small window of time香蕉视频直播� for the provinces to get deals signed. He called the deals 香蕉视频直播渁 gift from Ottawa.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 really no downside (for the provinces and territories). There香蕉视频直播檚 massive upside in terms of access to medicines for their citizens,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has said he rejects the government香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渞adical plan香蕉视频直播� for pharmacare and the NDP and Liberals are warning he would kill the program if elected.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 unlikely the Conservatives would continue to pursue this, and so, in absence of a federal partner who香蕉视频直播檚 willing to negotiate contracts with provinces and territories?香蕉视频直播� Hoskins said. 香蕉视频直播淚f that doesn香蕉视频直播檛 exist, the funds won香蕉视频直播檛 flow.香蕉视频直播�