What did the Liberal-New Democrat governing agreement not accomplish?

The confidence and supply agreement between the NDP and Liberals ended with some policy gains for the New Democrats, but other parties have yet to reach the finish line.

An agreement reached between the two parties in March 2022 saw the NDP commit to supporting the Liberal government in a vote of confidence in exchange for legislative commitments on NDP priorities.

The agreement was set to last until June of next year. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Wednesday that his party has told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that it is abandoning the agreement.

What has been achieved?

One key part of the agreement is the replacement worker law, which received royal assent earlier this summer and bans the use of replacement workers in federally regulated workplaces during strikes.

In 2022, the government will also require all federally regulated workplaces to provide workers with 10 days of sick leave per year.

As part of the agreement, the government also advanced the passage of the Sustainable Jobs Act, which aims to support sustainable job creation and economic growth in a net-zero economy.

The government also Federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous leader roundtable Coordinate the implementation of the recommendations of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

The agreement also includes an agreement to advance the Housing Promotion Fund, which has provided funding to municipalities that agree to certain requirements, such as increasing density near transit stations.

Several interim measures have also been introduced, such as doubling GST refunds and a one-off rental subsidy.

Almost finished

One of the biggest items introduced under the Supply and Confidence Agreement was the National Dental Programme.

The goal of the program is to cover the costs of dental care for low-income Canadians who cannot afford private insurance.

The national plan has begun covering about 2.4 million Canadians, but the government estimates that almost 9 million will be covered once the program is fully implemented.

Currently, seniors, children under 18, and people receiving the Federal Disability Tax Credit can apply. Applications for others are expected to open in January 2025.

Still in limbo

One of the NDP’s major priorities that remains unresolved is the National Pharmaceutical Benefits Program.

The issue of pharmaceutical benefits has become a bone of contention between the two parties, with the NDP threatening to withdraw from the agreement in March. If the bill has not been submitted by the beginning of the month.

The Drug and Health Insurance bill was introduced in late February and passed by the House of Representatives in June, but the bill is still pending in the Senate.

The April budget set aside $1.5 billion to cover some diabetes medications and contraceptives once the Pharmaceutical Benefits Bill is passed.

But the plan needs the buy-in of states and territories because health care falls under their jurisdiction, and the government can’t negotiate the details with them until the bill is passed.

The governing agreement also includes commitments to specific electoral reform provisions. A bill has been introduced that, if passed, would add two more days of early voting in the next election. Bill C-65 also includes a plan to spread election days across three days by 2029, allowing voters to cast their ballot at any polling station in their precinct.

However, the bill has only just passed its second reading in the House of Representatives. Not yet considered by the committeeTo become law, the bill would need to pass both houses before Congress recesses next summer.

The agreement also called for legislation to maintain the nation’s long-term care standards.

The government has completed consultations on long-term care legislation but has not yet tabled it. A Health Canada spokesperson told CBC News the government aims to introduce long-term care legislation “by the end of this year.”