Thursday April 10, 2025 | SASKATOON, SK [Reporting from VICTORIA, BC]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Today NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was on the federal campaign trail in Saskatoon.
For his morning announcement and press conference, standing in front of Saskatoon City Hospital he was surrounded by local candidates and health-care workers.
We’re in a trade war that could potentially cause a recession, said Singh, adding that this is a time of great economic unpredictably.
The current trade war, tariffs from from the US president, and a potential recession is how Singh describes the current economic situation.
In the past, Singh said that “when there are economic downturns, when there are recessions, it has always been the approach of Liberals and Conservatives to balance the budget on the backs of workers.
“I will never do that. I can conclusively and confidently tell you I will never balance the budget on the backs of working people,” said Jagmeet Singh today. “That will never happen with New Democrats.”
He followed that by saying that cutting the services people need is the wrong thing to do in difficult economic times.
But he is committed to increasing government revenue by dropping things like consulting fees and closing offshore tax havens and loopholes.
NDP in the House of Commons:
Everything that was achieved in that government, that made people’s lives better — dental care, Pharmacare, protections for workers — only happened because people voted for New Democrats. We were able to fight to make those things happen. They weren’t going to happen otherwise. The Liberals weren’t just going to do it, we forced them to do it,” said Singh, in explaining what has become — or will probably be the most important thing to emphasize — the main way to garner votes for the NDP.
“If you want to see more of those things happen — if you want to see Pharmacare expanded to cover more Canadians, to cover more medication, vote for a New Democrat. He said the same about funding for more investments in health care.
A continued dental care plan and expansion of Pharmacare depends on having enough NDP MPs in the House of Commons in the 45th parliament, Singh proposed.
“Send a New Democrat to fight back to defend against these cuts,” he said referring to what he believes will be cuts by a Liberal government if the Liberals again form government after the April 28 election.
The NDP will never support a Conservative government in the House of Commons, Singh has emphasized in this spring 2025 campaign.
Strengthening health-care:
“We want to strengthen health-care and support workers. We cannot cut the things people need in a recession,” said Singh today, saying that’s what Liberal and Conservative governments do.
“Carney’s plan would mean fewer nurses, longer wait times, and even more pressure on families already stretched to the limit,” said Singh. “Canadians need a government that has their back—not one that guts services while handing tax breaks to the wealthy.”
What it means to vote NDP:
“We’re focused on the choice people have in this election,” said Singh. He outlined that the choice is cuts versus investment. “To defend public health care, vote for a New Democrat,” was his emphasis.
Based on Parliamentary Budget Officer forecasts and current fiscal plans, NDP fiscal analysis shows that balancing the budget on Carney’s timeline would require nearly $43 billion in cuts by year three. Singh warned that these reductions would leave provinces and communities scrambling to maintain core services at a time when families are already facing mounting pressures on housing, health care, and the cost of living.
Media questions:
- Housing first is what Singh believes is the solution to help improve people’s lives, he said in response to a media question about homelessness.
- on the overdose crisis — which he calls an epidemic — “we can solve this, but it takes responding to this crisis as a crisis”.
- We believe in being allies, said Singh with regard to dealing with Indigenous reconciliation.
- Banker-speak for maintaining funding is a freeze, says Singh about Carney who has been the Bank of Canada Governor. “If spending is frozen, it is a cut,” he told media today
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NEWS SECTIONS: CANADIAN FEDERAL ELECTION 2025 | FEDERAL NDP | LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA