Roundup: Opening the Canadian Drug Agency

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There was an announcement yesterday that went under the radar of what appears to be every major news organization, which is that the Canadian Drug Agency is now fully operational. This has been in the works for a couple of years now, first as in a transitional form while the government consulted with the provinces and territories on what shape this would take, and it has now emerged from transition status into a full office.

Why is this important? Because this is the kind of actual policy work that is going to contribute to future national pharmacare in this country, not the ridiculous legislation that the NDP are insisting upon, under the mistaken belief that this is something that provinces can join one-by-one like with healthcare. It’s not—if national pharmacare is to work, it needs to be all or nothing, because it won’t be economically feasible otherwise. That means you need the premiers at the table from the start, and they all need to negotiate the national formulary together, not just let Ottawa decide and join up if they feel like it.

So, while Jagmeet Singh and Don Davies put on this dog and pony show about the pharmaracare legislation that hasn’t happened yet, and say boneheaded things like “The Liberals are on the side of Big Pharma,” the government has been putting in the actual work, and not the performative part, for what it’s worth.

Ukraine Dispatch:

A shortage of artillery shells is forcing Ukraine to scale back some operations, while the Russians are changing their tactics in their bid to overtake Avdiivka. Ukraine’s military chief is now saying that the war isn’t at a stalemate as he previously asserted (to which president Volodymyr Zelenskyy contradicted him). Said military chief found bugs in one of his offices, and hints that more devices have been found. He has also been critical of Zelenskyy’s decision to fire all regional military draft officers in a corruption crackdown.

Good reads:

  • Chrystia Freeland says she intends to run again in the next election and says that Justin Trudeau can “absolutely” win another election.
  • Canada is one of 14 countries expressing concern over extremist settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
  • Arif Virani doesn’t want the government to be accused of wanting to control speech when its online harms legislation is tabled. (Good luck with that one).
  • Canada will be sending personnel to contribute to a multinational force to deal with threats to shipping in the Red Sea (because we have no ships to spare).
  • Here is what we know of the charges facing the youth arrested in Ottawa on terror-related allegations.
  • As auto manufacturers complain that EV sales targets are unrealistic, evidence shows that BC, Quebec and California all exceeded their legislated targets.
  • In her year-ender with CBC, Her Excellency Mary May Simon talks about how Volodymyr Zelenskyy using “ajuinnata”in his speech brought tears to her eyes.
  • Senator Scott Tannas gives an update on the rehabilitation of the Centre Block.
  • Newfoundland and Labrador will be receiving equalisation for the first time since 2008 after some “technical change” to the formula.
  • Access to Information shows that the Saskatchewan government got 18 letters, mostly from bigots, to demand they go ahead with their school pronoun policy.
  • Danielle Smith appears to be caught in another of her lies, this time around the un-hiring of Dr. Deena Hinshaw for that Indigenous Wellness position.
  • Emmett Macfarlane gives a year-in-review for the Supreme Court of Canada.

Odds and ends:

My Loonie Politics Quick Take points out that the way dental care rolled out was nothing to crow about, and why we need to ensure pharmacare doesn’t repeat that.

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