Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh wants to build Canadasa国际传媒檚 domestic shipbuilding industry, which he says will help build the coastal economies and improve affordability for Vancouver Islanders.
Singh was in Campbell River on March 5 as part of a west-coast tour. The tour was part of a North Island-Powell River riding visit, during which he also stopped in Powell River and Comox before moving down island to Courtenay and beyond. Affordability was on the top of Singhsa国际传媒檚 mind as he toured the Ocean Pacific Marine Store and Boatyard in Campbell River, but so were ideas about how to build stronger local economies.
sa国际传媒淲e want to be leaders internationally,sa国际传媒� said Singh about the national shipbuilding strategy. sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檝e got so much coastline in Canada, we should be (leaders). The strategy only works if we make the right investments in communities so they can get bigger, expand and grow their skill sets.
sa国际传媒淭his is a local business that we want to see continue to grow,sa国际传媒� he said, gesturing at the boatyard behind him. sa国际传媒淲e want to see these businesses get the support they need, and we think the federal government should be doing that.sa国际传媒�
While strengthening Canadasa国际传媒檚 shipbuilding industry is one idea to improve affordability, Singh said that he has been hearing from other people in the community about their concerns.
sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e hearing from women, from Indigenous communities, and from working people that theresa国际传媒檚 been some progress made, and we cansa国际传媒檛 see that lost,sa国际传媒� he said. One of those areas of progress was a bill that will enshrine the $10-a-day daycare agreements the federal government has with provinces into law. That bill received concurrence in the house on Feb. 29, and it is awaiting royal assent.
sa国际传媒淚 remember someone in my constituency got the pilot project in B.C.,sa国际传媒� Singh said. sa国际传媒淪he said it changes her life, knowing it will be more affordable, and as soon as they heard about the pilot project, they decided they were going to try to have a kid sa国际传媒� thatsa国际传媒檚 how transformative it is.
sa国际传媒淲e thought itsa国际传媒檚 not enough to just have these agreements in place,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲e will make the permanent sa国际传媒� we want to expand it.sa国际传媒�
Singh and the NDPsa国际传媒檚 plans include higher wages for child care workers, as well as more spots available across the country. The next federal election is just over one and a half years away. Singh and the NDP maintain their confidence and supply agreement with the Liberals, though pharmacare and dental care have both moved forward. Their priorities now centre around affordability.
sa国际传媒�(Affordability) is the biggest question of our time. Isa国际传媒檇 say lots of people are feeling the squeeze, particularly around housing and groceries,sa国际传媒� he said. Singh talked about his bill that would lower grocery prices, saying that part of the bill would set the penalty for corporations that profit from price gouging to three times whatever profit they made.
sa国际传媒淪o if they made $5 billion the penalty should be $15 billion now,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 deterrence. Thatsa国际传媒檚 gonna stop them from doing it. They see a threat of having to pay that level of fine. Thatsa国际传媒檚 a severe sanction that would stop them from ripping us off.sa国际传媒�
That bill received second reading on Feb. 7.
To tackle housing prices, Singh said the NDP is focused on sa国际传媒渞eal alternativessa国际传媒� like non-profit housing, cooperative housing and building with federal investments to help lower the upfront costs of new builds.
sa国际传媒淲e talked to builders and they said sa国际传媒榳ell, I have to stay market rates for the land, Isa国际传媒檓 gonna pay market rates for my workers, Isa国际传媒檓 gonna pay market rates for the materials, and so the house is gonna be market rate,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲e need federal land, money, and power to build affordable homes.sa国际传媒�
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