On July 16, Premiers from all of Canada’s provinces and territories will gather in Halifax. With public health care systems in crisis across Canada, we need send them a clear message: no to privatization, yes to national pharmacare!
The federal government is about to pass the Pharmacare Act (Bill C-64), which will lay the foundations for national pharmacare, starting with coverage for diabetes medications and contraceptives.
Once the Pharmacare Act becomes law, provincial and territorial governments need to make agreements with the federal government to roll it out. But several Premiers have refused to support the new program. Instead, they are pushing privatization schemes that will only make the health care crisis worse.
Call your Premier, provincial health minister and MLA/MPP to say you want national pharmacare now.
Make a call
TALKING POINTS / SAMPLE CALL SCRIPT
Hi, my name is [name], I live in [city/riding] and I’m a supporter of the Council of Canadians.
(Mention any support you may have given the MPP / their party in the past, if relevant: voting, donating, volunteering, etc.)
I am calling to say that I fully support the new national pharmacare program laid out in the Pharmacare Act, and I expect [your province, e.g. Ontario] to do the same.
Across Canada, more than one in five Canadians cannot afford their medications. That’s 8.8 million Canadians who are skipping doses, splitting pills, or not filling their prescriptions.
And since people who can’t afford much-needed medications often get sicker and end up in the ER, this is putting greater pressure on our province’s health care system.
High drug prices and inadequate coverage are making the health care crisis worse and causing millions of Canadians to suffer needlessly.
(Share any experiences you or someone close to you from your province may have had with lack of coverage or unaffordable drug costs)
The federal government’s new national pharmacare program, starting with coverage for contraceptives and diabetes drugs, will help change that.
There’s absolutely no reason for [your province] not to support this new program.
I know you may be hearing false narratives from Big Pharma or insurance lobbyists about pharmacare. I’m calling to let you that people in [your province/your riding] are paying attention, and expect to see [your province] negotiate in good faith with the federal government to roll out pharmacare as quickly as possible.
At the July 16 Premiers’ Meeting in Halifax, I hope to see [your province] announce its intention to participate in national pharmacare and reject privatization schemes that only make the health care crisis worse.
Step-by-step instructions
- Have your phone handy and open your computer.
- On your computer, go to this link to access the calling tool: https://canadians.org/action/pharma-phone-prov/.
- Enter your information in the web form.
- Get your phone ready and then, on your computer, click ‘Make the Call’.
- Your phone will ring. Answer it! At the same time, scroll down on the web page to see the phone script.
- Your phone will now automatically connect you. Leave a message on each answering machine using the script (feel free to modify as you see fit!).
- After each message you leave, DON’T HANG UP! Press * and you’ll automatically be connected to the next target number.
- Repeat until the end. When you’ve left a message for all targets you’re ready to hang up.
Targets
Alberta
- Danielle Smith, Premier 780-427-2251
- Adriana LaGrange, Health Minister 780 427-3665
British Columbia
- David Eby, Premier (250) 387-1715
- Adrian Dix, Health Minister (250) 953-3547
Manitoba
- Wab Kinew, Premier 204-945-3714
- Uzoma Asagwara, Health Minister 204-945-3731
New Brunswick
- Blaine Higgs, Premier (506) 453-2144
- Bruce Fitch, Health Minister
Newfoundland & Labrador
- Andrew Furey, Premier (709) 729-3570
- Tom Osbourne, Health Minister (709) 729-3124
Nova Scotia
- Tim Houston, Premier 902-424-6600
- Michelle Thompson, Health Minister 902-424-5818
Nunavut
- P.J. Akeeagok, Premier 867-975-5050
- John Main, Health Minister (867) 975-5151
NWT
- RJ Simpson, Premier 867-767-9141
- Lesa Semmler, Health Minister (867) 767-9143
Ontario
- Doug Ford, Premier 416-325-1941
- Sylvia Jones, Health Minister 416-327-4300
PEI
- Dennis King, Premier 902-368-4400
- Mark McLane, Health Minister 902-368-5250
Quebec
- Francois Legault, Premier 418-643-5321
- Christian Dube, Health Minister 418-266-7171
Saskatchewan
- Scott Moe, Premier 306-787-9433
- Everett Hindley, Health Minister 306-787-7345
Yukon
- Ranj Pillai, Premier 867-393-7418
- Tracy-Anne McPhee, Health Minister 867-393-7488
