Thank you, Chrystia, for everything you do, not only as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, but also as the proud local member of Parliament. I also want to thank Marci for your leadership at women and equality, and for your work in the Cabinet, in our strong feminist government.

And Heather, thank you so much for welcoming me back here. Last time I was here, I was here for an announcement with Dr. Carolyn Bennett, and it is a real pleasure to be back here today for this announcement, but also to say thank you to all of you, the extraordinary team here at Women’s College Hospital, that has made such a huge difference in the lives of not just people across the GTA, but right across the country with your example, with your innovation, with your leadership, with everything that Women’s College Hospital has done over the years.

Since the late 1800s, when Dr. Emily Stowe founded Women’s College Hospital and realized there was a need for a women’s medical school in this country, this place has been a place of innovation, a place of equity and equality, and a place of care, and it’s those values that suffuse everything that has been done here and continues to get done here, that we’re certainly drawing on as a government as we move forward with national single-payer pharmacare, starting in two specific areas.

First is contraceptives. Making sure that women right across this country can choose when they want to start a family, have power over their path—whatever their path is—and not have cost be a barrier to that. We know that affordability of prescription contraception is a real issue in this time of squeezed budgets on just about everything and being there for women right across the country with this is something this government is committed to and we’re going to roll up our sleeves with the provinces. We’re actually basing our approach on the B.C. model that led on this, but there’s lots of work to do to make sure that everyone gets the right coverage right across the country.

And on the eve of International Women’s Day, I am so glad to be here to make this point that women’s health is health for everyone, and making sure we build a strong society where affordability challenges don’t get in the way of the really important family planning that is every woman’s right in this country.

Second, we’re moving forward on diabetes medications because we know that it’s a huge issue faced by millions of Canadians, but diabetes is also a situation in which far too many people are having to make choices between putting groceries on the table or paying rent or paying for their medication. And when they miss medication, not only does it lead to much worse health outcomes for them and quality of life issues, but it ends up costing our medical system much more in serious consequences.

So, moving forward on pharmacare contraceptives and diabetes medications just makes sense in terms of, not just being there for Canadians and making sure they have all the opportunities to succeed and have great, fulfilled lives, but also countering the affordability challenges that we know Canadians are facing right across the country.

Moving forward with pharmacare, especially for contraceptives and diabetes medications, will have a positive impact on the lives of Canadians all across this country. We are there to help women decide when and how they want to start a family, and to not have the cost of living interfere with their choices and their plans. This is a fundamental principle for us and that is why I am very pleased to be here today for this announcement.

I am very pleased again to be able to thank this extraordinary hospital for everything it does and everything it has done for nearly 150 years, and we will continue to partner with those who deliver health care services across the country every day.

We’ve made huge investments in health care over the past years, we will continue to step up to make sure that every Canadian gets the care they need. It’s how you build a strong economy, it’s how you build a strong future, and we’re going to continue to be there for that.

Thank you very much, everyone.

Thank you, all.