Wednesday August 25, 2021 | VANCOUVER ISLAND [Updated August 26 with photos]
by Mary P Brooke, Editor | Island Social Trends
Today an Orange Island campaign wave happened in five Vancouver Island locations under bright sunny skies.
To make an NDP splash, out at the roadside waving with their supporters on this 11th day of the 44th federal election campaign were Laurel Collins (Victoria), Randall Garrison (Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke), Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford), Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) and Sabina Singh (Saanich-Gulf Islands).
Here on south Vancouver Island that sees Garrison running for a fourth term, MacGregor running for a third term, and Collins for a second term.
The NDP spirit:
Speaking today outdoors in Windsor, Ontario, Singh said the NDP consciousness about everyone being connected and caring about the environment — which is evident on Vancouver Island — is present across Canada.
Singh was responding to an Island Social Trends media question about how it is there has been such a longstanding stronghold of NDP seats on Vancouver Island for many years.
The BC provincial government is also NDP, under the leadership of Premier John Horgan who holds the Langford-Juan de Fuca seat here on south Vancouver Island.
Supporting affordability:
Singh hopes that all Canadians can have economic stability, and noted that the precariousness of the gig economy is something that people should not have to put up with.
People shouldn’t have to find a job just for the opportunity for salary benefits. Singh noted Pharmacare and providing dental benefits for everyone in Canada would achieve a great deal toward evening out the economic security for more Canadians.
This morning the NDP leader addressed the cost of Internet and cell phone usage. Yesterday he addressed the need to get profit out of long-term care in Canada.
Throughout the campaign Singh has been addressing the cost of housing, which has become clearly out of range for people to own and to rent, in many locations across Canada.
Singh has also brought to light the plight of low-income seniors who have lost their Guaranteed Income Supplement for having taken CERB last year during the pandemic (which only came to light in July, with no warning for seniors who depend on the GIS income supplement for their financial stability).
===== RELATED:
NDP affordability promise: taking on the telecoms (August 25, 2021)
Hard to get profit out of long-term care but NDP set to try (August 24, 2021)
First-week Angus Reid poll: NDP has ‘shown improvement’ (August 23, 2021)
NDP seat-surge would benefit Canadians says Jagmeet Singh (August 19, 2021)
Some seniors toughing out GIS clawback during election (August 16, 2021)