Wednesday November 30, 2022 | NATIONAL
Editorial commentary by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
It takes a certain approach and temperament to be the party that generates the idea and applies the pressure to make it happen. Then have another party take the credit.
But that’s the flow of things for federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and his 24 MPs in the current 44th Parliament. Not just due to the current Supply and Confidence Agreement between the NDP and the governing Liberals, but as the third party by seat-count, and by temperament as progressive fixers.
The Canadian psyche is still resistant to significant progressive change. The expected flip-flop between Liberals and Conservatives running the country has only once been significantly upset when the late Jack Layton swept in a large number of NDP seats in 2011.
Small but mighty:
Small but mighty is the NDP force in the House of Commons nowadays. It was the NDP who crafted the idea of CERB and pushed the Liberals to issue $2,000 per month (up from the original $1,000 per month) to people in need during the pandemic.
It was the NDP who pushed for dental care for kids under 12 (which comes into effect tomorrow) and for two weeks sick leave (something that was developed upon seeing the impacts of unwell people going to work during the COVID pandemic).
New dental plan & sick leave:
Starting Thursday December 1, parents and workers will finally be able to apply for support New Democrats delivered: dental care for kids and up to two weeks of paid sick leave.
For uninsured low- and middle-income families: Apply for the Canada Dental Benefit
Earlier this year, New Democrats used their power to help families and their budgets by giving families with children (under age 12) $650 per year per child to see a dentist.
And after years of pushing the government to bring in two weeks of paid sick leave for federally regulated workers, workers will finally be able to access the support.
“After months of the NDP pushing the government to follow through, it’s clear that left to their own devices, the Liberals were never going to act,” said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in a news release today.
“And at every opportunity, despite Canadians paying for Conservative MPs’ own dental care, the Conservatives tried to stop dental care for kids from happening,” says Singh.
Formal announcement by prime minister:
Tomorrow in London, Ontario, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will officially launch the new Making Dental Care More Affordable plan for kids. The Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, will be in attendance.
The Liberals hold most of their seats (76 of their total 158) in Ontario, while the bulk of the NDP seats (13 of their total 25) are in BC.
===== ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
Island Social Trends is a professional news portal at islandsocialtrends.ca .
Fully online since mid-2020, Island Social Trends emerged from the extensive groundwork of previous print publications in the west shore: MapleLine Magazine (2008-2010), Sooke Voice News (2011-2013), and West Shore Voice News (2014-2020).
Since 2008, journalist and editor Mary P Brooke has taken a socioeconomic lens to the news of the west shore and south Vancouver Island region, including BC provincial news, and national news impacts.
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