NDP Health critic Peter Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby) issued the following statement:

“As of today, more than 2.3 million Canadians will benefit from the NDP’s Dental Care Plan and close to 450,000 have already received care. Millions of seniors, parents and people with disabilities across the country will no longer have to worry about how much they’ll have to pay out of pocket to see a dentist.

Despite the Liberals voting against dental care every chance they had, the NDP forced them to deliver it. And while thousands of Canadians are already benefiting from the NDP’s dental coverage, Pierre Poilievre openly says he will cut it entirely and take it away if he gets the chance. While Pierre Poilievre wants to cut and make your life harder, the NDP is using its power to make your life easier and more affordable.

We will continue to press the government to ensure people with disabilities and families are notified about the existence of the program so they can benefit from dental care when they need it.

New Democrats fight every day to change the rules in Ottawa to help you and your family get ahead, for once. Not wealthy CEOs and donors. We are on your side and we will continue to fight until everyone gets the care they need, when they need it, without worrying about the cost.”

NDP treasury board critic MP Blake Desjarlais (Edmonton Griesbach) made the following statement:

"Black, Indigenous and racialized Canadians have long endured systemic racism and discrimination within the public service.

The recent damning report on racism within the Privy Council's Office, a leader within the public service, shows how the experience of racialized public servants is not taken seriously by Justin Trudeau's government.

To make matters worse, this Liberal government has spent millions of dollars to dismiss the Black Class Action settlement and despite promises to develop a Black-led mental health fund, they have failed to meaningfully spend the money.

The Privy Council's Office sets the standard for all other parts of government, and New Democrats call on the government to immediately implement the reforms urged by the Black Class Action Secretariat."

On Thursday, Canada’s NDP leader Jagmeet Singh laid out a plan to ban renovictions to make rent more affordable across the country.

Singh's NDP is proposing federal incentives to force municipalities to legislate a renoviction ban. Hamilton is the first city in Ontario to adopt such a ban and London may soon be the second. Singh was in London Thursday to lay out his commitment, and his belief that nobody should live in fear of being kicked out of their home so a corporate landlord can jack up rent for the next tenant.

“For families, it’s harder than ever to find a decent apartment, and harder still to afford it. Rent is through the roof. And on top of that, renters live in fear of being kicked out by a corporate landlord who claims renovations are needed when, really, they just want to jack up the rent between tenants,” said Singh.

“This is allowed because the system was designed by Liberals and Conservatives to work well for corporate landlords—and people are paying a huge price for that. The system is rigged. New Democrats are ready to rewrite the rules to make life easier for renters.”

Since Justin Trudeau took office, the average rent price across the country has increased by 100 per cent.

London is in the top five cities in Ontario with the most renovictions. In five years, there has been a 180 per cent increase in applications by landlords seeking to renovict tenants.

“Trudeau’s Liberals let people down. Instead of helping people, they helped corporate landlords, so rents doubled. And the Conservatives with Pierre Poilievre aren’t the answer. They believe there should be no rules for corporate landlords, and the prices Canadians will pay will just skyrocket,” said NDP MP Lindsay Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe).

"The truth is that we that we can get rent prices back under control. One step in making that happen is the New Democrats’ plan to change the rules to end the unfair and cruel practice of putting people out on the street so that a few at the top make a bigger profit. Jagmeet Singh will outlaw renovictions.”

As he prepares for his big show rally in Winnipeg, there’s one thing that Pierre Poilievre won’t be talking about – his work for corporate insiders and lobbyists who want to squeeze as much profit from hardworking Canadians as possible.

Pierre Poilievre’s team is full of grocery insiders and lobbyists, including:

• His Caucus Chair, Scott Reid, who’s the Chairman of Giant Tiger;
• His Chief Strategist, Jenni Byrne, whose firm lobby for Galen Weston and Loblaws; and
• His National Council, which includes pharma lobbyists who raise the prices of life-saving medications.

Poilievre can’t have it both ways – he can’t say he’ll lower prices while also working on behalf of grocery executives. By choosing to surround himself with grocery executives and lobbyists, he’ll never lower prices for everyday Canadians in Winnipeg and across the country.

“People in Winnipeg are working harder than ever but are falling behind. Every time you go to a big grocery store, you’re getting ripped off,” said NDP MP Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre). “Pierre Poilievre doesn’t care—he’s happy as long as his rich buddies are racking in the big money. He’s a corporate sellout, not a friend of workers, but a champion for the big bosses getting rich on your back.”

On Thursday, Canada’s NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was at a Toronto Loblaws store with NDP candidate for Spadina Fort-York Norman Di Pasquale to call on the government to cap the price on essential grocery items to lower grocery prices.

This announcement comes on the same day it was reported that Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. were forced to pay $500 million to settle a class-action lawsuit regarding their involvement in an alleged bread price-fixing scheme. Singh said that Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre failed to protect Canadians from a $5-billion scam and forced Canadians to fight back alone to get some sort of justice, and that’s wrong.

Singh and Di Pasquale shopped for a few essential items before speaking to reporters.

“Everyone knows the feeling of paying more than ever at the till and walking out with fewer grocery bags—that’s the feeling of being ripped off,” said Singh. “Canadians are working harder than ever but finding it harder than ever to get ahead. It’s not their fault. For years, Conservatives and now Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have stacked the deck against people. They’ve written rules that make it easy to price gouge. The scales are tipped in their favour so billionaires can get richer and richer, and Canadian pay for it.

“It’s time to re-write the rules. If greedy CEOs want to keep ripping people off, the government needs to provide relief at the till with a cap on essential items like bread and baby formula.”

With food prices through the roof, the number of people relying on food banks doubled in Toronto over the last year. The grocery sector has hiked margins, and is making record profits—a whopping $6 billion in 2023 alone. Singh says it’s time to change the rules to protect people’s wallets by outlawing gouging.

Last month, the NDP proposed a plan to lower grocery prices, but Pierre Poilievre and Justin Trudeau voted it down—choosing to protect big grocer CEO profits.

“When it comes to rising grocery prices, the Conservatives would pour gasoline on the fire,” said Singh. “Pierre Poilievre believes the government should have no rules for big businesses. Conservatives believe CEOs should charge as much as they can get you to pay. New Democrats believe it’s time to take on corporate greed, and finally tip the scales in people’s favour, for once, by lowering grocery prices.”

Singh also pointed out just how far Justin Trudeau is willing to go to help grocery CEOs instead of people; he gave the CEOs of Loblaws and Costco $26 million to buy new fridges. Singh said it's time to end handouts to grocery giants that gouge.