NDP: Canadians can’t afford the price of Pierre

NDP Health critic slams Pierre Poilievre for planning to take away Canadians’ dental care and pharmacare

OTTAWA—On Friday, NDP Health critic Peter Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby) spoke out against Pierre Poilievre actively campaigning to take away dental care and pharmacare that Canadians rely on for lower costs.

“Canadians are frustrated by a government that stands by while rising costs make their lives harder. People are having to choose between paying their bills or buying groceries. That’s why New Democrats fought for measures to lower costs for hardworking Canadians—dental care, free birth control, free diabetes medication, and free meals for kids in schools,” said Julian. “But Pierre Poilievre is saying no to these programs. He wants to take away Canadians’ pharmacare and dental care, despite having full coverage all his political career at the expense of Canadian taxpayers. This is shameful.

“Meanwhile when he was in power, he gave $60 billion in handouts to wealthy corporations. That’s the price of Pierre. CEOs get more and you get less.”

In this week’s federal budget, New Democrats delivered free birth control for 9 million Canadians and diabetes medication for 3.7 million Canadians—and Pierre Poilievre has been telling Canadians he’s going to take it all away. This is no surprise since, as a minister in the Harper government, healthcare funding was cut by $43.5 billion.

“Pierre Poilievre wants to cut the programs that will lower costs for seniors, single parents, students and working families. But he’s more than happy to continue handing out billions to the wealthy CEOs for big grocery chains and Big Oil who have been gouging Canadians,” said Julian. “He wants more handouts to help CEOs get richer and richer, while hardworking people have to scrimp and save. That’s the price of Pierre. Canadians deserve better.

“With New Democrats, you get more, and pay less.”