NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh addresses CUPE National Convention in Quebec City « Canada’s NDP
QUEBEC CITY — On Friday Morning, Canada’s NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh addressed CUPE members at their National Convention in Quebec City. Singh focused on the lack of affordable housing and the high cost of living under the Trudeau government but also cautioned that Pierre Poilievre made things worse for workers and their families during his nine years in government.
“Most young people believe they will never own a home. If you are a renter, you live in fear that the landlord could throw you out just to make more money. And if you have a mortgage, you watch every month as interest rates go up— knowing someday you won’t be able to pay the bills. The Liberals have failed to build the affordable homes Canadians need to keep costs down in their communities. New Democrats are fighting to get more homes built, faster all across the county.”
After eight years of Justin Trudeau, Canadians are paying more and getting less. House prices doubled and the average rent in Canada has doubled. Instead of building more housing units, the Trudeau government has let 276,000 affordable homes be sold off to rich developers. But Pierre Poilievre’s record is even worse. During his nine years in government, staggering 800,000 affordable homes were lost on his watch.
And it isn’t just the cost of housing that is rising. Since Trudeau was first elected, food prices have gone up by 30%. Singh took aim at the Liberals plan to “stabilize” grocery prices.
“After making Canadians wait almost two years for help, two weeks ago, the Liberals actually told Canadians to check out the grocery flyers,” said Singh. “Apparently, Canadians struggling to buy enough food for their families just have to shop around according to this Liberal government! How out of touch are they?
“Grocery store workers went on strike for better wages because they couldn’t afford to shop at the stores where they worked. That’s wrong. They deserve higher wages and Canadians deserve to have a government who tackles the corporate greed driving up prices,” said Singh. “I have been on picket lines all over Canada and I can tell you that the way you get a powerful paycheque is with a powerful union, fighting for a bigger share of the profits that workers create.”
“New Democrats are working hard every day to deliver results for people. Hundreds of thousands of families are able to take their kids to the dentist because we forced the government to fund it. We did that – not the Liberals – and certainly not the Conservatives. New Democrats are always going to be there to have Canadians’ backs.”