Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

NDP leader says Liberal government is waging war against the working class

Share
OTTAWA -

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says Justin Trudeau is waging a war against the working class and he plans to leverage his party's agreement with the Liberals to protect working people.

Singh addressed his caucus on Wednesday in a speech that heavily focused on the struggles faced by everyday Canadians and touched on the party's traditional values such as strengthening unions and defending public health care.

"Workers are the backbone of this country and they deserve respect," Singh said. "If you work a job in this country, you shouldn't go hungry."

He accused the prime minister of dismissing the struggles families are facing, including decades-high inflation, rising grocery prices and lack of access to health care.

"You can't even find cold medicine for your children. Right now it feels like this war against workers," he said.

He also accused Trudeau of allowing some of the country's premiers to dismantle medicare by introducing publicly funded but privately delivered health-care service, and called on the federal government to ban privatization as part of the ongoing health-care funding negotiations with the provinces.

"We're going to push every day for action to bring down inflation, to protect the environment and fix and expand universal public Canadian health care," Singh said.

Trudeau said he recognizes that families are facing challenging times, but that Canada is in a period of transition because of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are helping families, but it's not just a question of being there for the short term. We must build a medium- and long-term future that reassures and reflects the ambitions that Canadians have for themselves, for their future," Trudeau said in French at a news conference Wednesday in Shawinigan, Que.

Last March, the New Democrats signed a supply and confidence agreement with the Liberals, in which the NDP agreed to support the minority government in key votes until 2025.

In exchange, the Liberals promised to support NDP priorities such as introducing a pharmacare bill by the end of this year, implementing a national dental-care program and supporting energy workers who may be affected by environmental policies.

The NDP claimed wins after the Liberals introduced cost-of-living policies last fall, including dental-care subsidies for children under 12 in low-income households, one-time supplements for low-income renters and a temporary doubling of the GST tax rebate.

Singh said he plans to use the agreement to advance outstanding items in the coming year.

His 30-minute speech got a standing ovation from the NDP caucus, which is meeting for three days as it prepares for Parliament to resume at the end of the month. Singh did not take questions from the media, but he's expected to address reporters on Thursday.

"This NDP caucus is going to fight like hell for workers and families," he said.

"And then I'm going to run for prime minister."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18, 2023

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Childhood sleep issues may raise suicide risk, study finds

If your child sometimes has trouble sleeping, it may be easy to chalk it up to a phase they will grow out of one day. But a new study suggests possible serious consequences for this line of thought — such as a higher risk for suicidal ideation or attempts when they are older.

Infectious disease physician Dr. Isaac Bogoch says whooping cough is most risky for unvaccinated infants, children and older people.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected