And its promising to begin work on a national pharmacare plan.
The feds plan on creating the Canadian Drug Agency, which would help negotiate prescription drug prices on behalf of Canadians.
They’re also looking to create a national strategy to get citizens better access to high-cost drugs for rare diseases, saying that’s an important first step in a expanding drug coverage.
If the Liberals get a second mandate, they’ll spend $35 million over four years to transition to a national pharmacare plan.
The budget also focuses on helping workers take time off for training, and enhancements to the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors.
The Liberals also committed 1.18 billion dollars over five years to increase border security with budget documents saying they will work to “detect and intercept individuals who cross Canadian borders irregularly and who try to exploit Canada’s immigration system.”
There were a few election goodies aimed at younger voters including mortgage deals for first time home-owners and lowering interest on student loans.
The budget presentation was not without its controversy however, as the federal Conservatives disrupted Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s attempts to present it in Parliament, first by dragging out a vote on MPs traveling for fisheries business.
Morneau was supposed to speak at 5 p.m. Atlantic Time but was not able to do so until about 6.
Once he rose to speak, Conservatives chanted “let her speak,” forcing the speaker of the house to cut off mics, and curbing the translator’s attempt at translating Morneau’s speech from French to English.
The speaker did not regain order until opposition leader Andrew Scheer led the majority of his caucus out of Parliament.
“We come into the budget, Budget 2019, having had very positive economic results over the last three and a half years,” said Morneau, shortly after calm came over the House once more.
The Conservatives were reacting to the closing of the probe into the SNC Lavelin Affair, after the Liberals declined to have MP Jody Wilson-Raybould testify a second time.
To read the full budget click here.
Story by Brittany Wentzell
Twitter: @BrittWentzell
Email: wentzell.brittany@radioabl.ca