Waive Pharmacare Fees - QP
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : My question is also for the Premier. For many months, our caucus has been urging the Premier to waive Pharmacare fees for families and seniors, so that they have a shot at affording groceries and their medication. There's an idea. Those fees are administered by a private company, Medavie. Even though this government says they're going to do whatever it takes to fix health care, they haven't imposed any penalties or fines on Medavie's subsidiary, EMCI, when they breach components of their contract to provide ground ambulance services, and things continue to worsen.
Is the Premier protecting Nova Scotians, or Medavie's profit line?
THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable Premier.
THE PREMIER « » : There's no question there are issues with EHS and the ambulance service here. Of course, we're proud of the improvements we're trying to make with the fixed wing. Lots of people are benefiting from that fixed wing service, and many other innovations we've come up with along the way. I will just assure the member there's only one thing that drives me every morning when I get out of bed, and that's to look after Nova Scotians. I'm focused on that. We don't get everything perfect, but we are always coming from a place right here to put Nova Scotians first.
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Telus is another big corporation that's making big business out of private health care in Canada, including here in Nova Scotia, where they run virtual health services for profit, funded by the public purse. Why won't the Premier find a way to hire more health care professionals to provide public services, instead of paying corporations like Telus to do it for them?
THE PREMIER « » : We're only concerned with access to care for Nova Scotians. We make sure - I believe in the public system. I'm a supporter of the public system. Nova Scotians have access to public health care. We have no intentions of privatizing health care in this province. That's a narrative that the NDP will sometimes push. I just want to assure Nova Scotians - not going to happen, but making sure Nova Scotians have access is what will happen. That's what we're doing, and if it means working with private companies to make sure that people can get the care, we'll make sure they do that, too.
I know lots of Nova Scotians who got their vaccine at a pharmacy. You know what, Speaker? They didn't complain to me that they went to a pharmacy. They said they're happy they got their vaccine. We will work with those to make (inaudible). (Applause)
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : It's clear that health care is getting worse. Nova Scotians are choosing between food and medicine, waiting hours in emergency rooms, and not knowing if an ambulance will arrive when they call. What does the Premier do? He heads, literally, to an office tower on Bay Street to talk about "innovation" in health care at a $1,000-a-table event sponsored by Medavie and Telus. Meanwhile, the Premier says he will pay $1,000 - same cost as a table - for health care ideas, as long as they don't cost us anything. Will the Premier stop scheming with corporations and get to work fixing our public system?
THE PREMIER « » : I want to assure Nova Scotians that progress is being made on health care. Every single day in this province, people can access virtual care. Every single day in this province, people can access care at a pharmacy, and I'll table that article again about the little province that could: "Tiny Nova Scotia is leading the world in pharmacy innovation right now."
Every single day in this province, people are accessing care through unique avenues under the direction of the Minister of Health and Wellness, who is getting to work putting Nova Scotians at the forefront. I'm going to host all the Premiers here in Halifax in a couple of weeks to talk about health care innovation. I will listen to anyone who wants to talk about health care, and I will talk to anyone who wants to talk about health care, because the only thing that matters is access to care for Nova Scotians.