Canada

The provincial NDP is blaming the federal government and both the provincial Liberals and PCs for failing the people of Newfoundland and Labrador on pharmacare.

Newfoundland and Labrador has yet to sign on to the national pharmacare program, something Premier Tony Wakeham says the province is willing to do.

Leader Jim Dinn believes there wasn’t an appetite for the province to sign-on, and it “missed the boat.”

“I think it gave the federal government the opportunity, or the reason to say ‘well, you know, maybe there’s not enough pickup so this is a program we can cancel.'”

Dinn told VOCM Open Line with Brian Callahan that the responses he’s heard to date from the premier and minister of health have been “tepid.”

“I put the blame on them for this, is that what the plan is going forward? In terms of Yvonne (Earle of the Council of Canadians) she made it very clear…people are not taking their medication. It’s having repercussions on their health…and increased costs to the health care system.”