To make room for big increases in defence spending, the Carney government is cutting the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The report points out a fact most of us don’t know, but which should be obvious to us all: the federal government heavily subsidizes the private health insurance industry.

How so? Through the non-taxation of employer contributions to private employee health plans. The annual figure for that generous tax break for a profitable industry is $5 billion.

“Before asking how we can afford pharmacare, ask how every year we afford a $5 billion public subsidy for private insurance plans available to only some?”