Hon. Andrew Cardozo: My question is for the government leader. Senator Moreau, I want to ask you about equality and affordability today.

On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we look to improving the status of people with disabilities in this country. My question regards looking at the big picture and the long term. What is the vision of the federal government? What is the vision that you aspire to in order to substantively and substantially improve the status of Canadians living with disabilities?

Hon. Pierre Moreau (Government Representative in the Senate): If I may, I will just repeat some parts of the answer I gave to your colleague Senator Pate. Including Budget 2025 measures, the government estimates that 600,000 people will benefit from the Canada Disability Benefit. This will help lift 40,000 Canadians out of poverty by 2028.

My understanding is that — and this is clear because of Budget 2025 — the government remains committed to supporting the most vulnerable Canadians, and those people are among them.

Senator Cardozo: Thank you.

The National Pharmacare Committee of Experts, established by the Minister of Health in November last year, issued a report last week. It made a series of recommendations, including that the government fully fund access to essential medicines for Canadians.

Will the government commit to implementing these recommendations, and can you tell us about the status of the agreements with those provinces that have not yet signed on to pharmacare?

Senator Moreau: You’re aware that the government already has agreements with many provinces and territories: British Columbia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and Yukon. The Quebec government has its own pharmacare.

My understanding is that there are ongoing negotiations with other provinces and territories to sign agreements similar to what we already have with those provinces and territories I mentioned. There is a commitment from the government to continue working with the provinces to achieve that.