Jagmeet Singh was running a few minutes late.

North Island-Powell River NDP MP Rachel Blaney wasn乌鸦传媒檛 terribly surprised.

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 probably stopping to talk to everyone out there,乌鸦传媒� she told representatives from Campbell River乌鸦传媒檚 social support network gathered to share their challenges with the federal NDP leader.

In town to discuss affordability, both in terms of housing and food security, Singh joined Black Press Media staff for a stroll around the block and a one-on-one interview.

The needs of the various non-profits he spoke are very real, he said.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e hearing more more stories from people that are having a hard time making ends meet. Even families that have jobs have a home, they乌鸦传媒檙e feeling the squeeze. Knowing that, I can only imagine how much harder it is for someone who doesn乌鸦传媒檛 really have housing or doesn乌鸦传媒檛 really have enough income to make their bills or just get by.乌鸦传媒�

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乌鸦传媒淲e have to focus on the problems, but then look to solutions and that乌鸦传媒檚 what folks in the room were really quick to do. They had great ideas about what we could do to fix this and that to me was a hopeful message coming out of the meeting.乌鸦传媒�

However, translating local on-the-ground needs to federal policy can be tricky. Singh says that one way is to treat the cause of a problem instead of the symptoms.

乌鸦传媒淚n housing it乌鸦传媒檚 getting at the fact that housing is being used like like a casino or a stock market to make money,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淵ou gamble on buying property here and you hope you can make a lot of money off of it.乌鸦传媒�

Singh would like to see tax laws used to make it less attractive to use housing as a money-maker. Fixing the affordability crisis has been focused on either reducing the cost of living or lessening the load on regular people. However, Singh said that wages were not keeping up with inflation even before the current crisis, and there are ways people can advocate for higher income.

乌鸦传媒淲e know one of the best ways to a good-paying job that has enough to pay the bills is to make it easier to join a union. So we乌鸦传媒檙e looking at ways of strengthen the ability to join the union,乌鸦传媒� he said, adding that anti-scab legislation was also on the NDP docket.

Singh has been signalling a focus on the NDP being the party of the working class. During an NDP caucus meeting earlier this month he said the Liberal Party is 乌鸦传媒渨aging a war乌鸦传媒� on workers. Singh said that was referring to the Bank of Canada乌鸦传媒檚 approach to inflation.

乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檝e said that you can乌鸦传媒檛 increase wages to keep up with inflation,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淭he Bank of Canada乌鸦传媒檚 approach right now to the inflation is raising interest rates 乌鸦传媒� It makes it harder for people that have got a mortgage and it makes it harder for people who have debt.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒�(The Liberals) are choosing a path to make more pain for workers while they乌鸦传媒檙e ignoring that the wealthiest corporations have made huge profits in this inflationary period so they乌鸦传媒檝e really chosen a side,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e choosing a side to protect the wealth of the billionaires and chosen a path that乌鸦传媒檚 gonna hurt workers. And to me that looks like class warfare.乌鸦传媒�

Workers are hurting, and towns with industrial economic bases are facing insecurity both in the short and long terms. One of those insecurities is related to climate change, and Singh乌鸦传媒檚 NDP has a plan for a just transition for industry workers.

乌鸦传媒淭he Inflation Reduction act in the States and the decisions that the Biden Administration have made around clean energy investments have meant that there is a risk that we fall behind; workers in Canada fall behind if we don乌鸦传媒檛 also have a clear strategy around investing in some of these jobs in the future,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲hat can we do knowing that one of the world乌鸦传媒檚 largest economies 乌鸦传媒� has chosen to invest in clean energy or in jobs in a sector that reduces emissions?

乌鸦传媒淐limate change means that different jobs or different sectors are being impacted. Those workers might might have volatility or unpredictability in their jobs 乌鸦传媒� It also means that there乌鸦传媒檚 certain areas that we need to make investments because there乌鸦传媒檚 going to be an opportunity for us to create really good jobs 乌鸦传媒� I could include things like on-land containment for fish farms or something like that 乌鸦传媒� We乌鸦传媒檙e looking at how we can transition any any process that we have into a more sustainable way to do it that still creates those good jobs.乌鸦传媒�

Other industries are not immune.

Many regions are facing health care worker shortages. These shortages are exacerbated by the housing crisis. Even B.C. Premier David Eby and his family had in Port McNeill when they tried to relocate there for his wife乌鸦传媒檚 medical career during the pandemic.

To Singh, the health care worker shortage is a national issue, and requires a national response 乌鸦传媒� beyond just improving housing.

乌鸦传媒淭he federal government has to play a role in supporting with funds for opening up more seats in colleges and universities,乌鸦传媒� he said, adding that they have to be 乌鸦传媒渕aking sure that we pay our healthcare workers adequately so they can be in communities. So this is very top of mind and we have we have real concrete things that we could do to fix it.乌鸦传媒�

Health care is one of the main priorities for the NDP this year, with the health care, dental care and pharmacare coverage all major parts of keeping the confidence and supply agreement with the Liberals in place.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e proud of the work that we乌鸦传媒檝e delivered so far or the work we乌鸦传媒檝e done so far and I乌鸦传媒檓 not satisfied though. I know there乌鸦传媒檚 more that needs to be done this year. We乌鸦传媒檙e gonna keep on fighting,乌鸦传媒� he said.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e proud that we were the only party in Parliament that乌鸦传媒檚 actually pushing for these changes.乌鸦传媒�

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marc.kitteringham@campbellrivermirror.com
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