Federal opposition leader Thomas Mulcair with NDP candidate Kathleen Jodouin.
About two hundred people were at The Boat on the North Bay waterfront to meet the federal opposition leader, the NDP’s Thomas Mulcair. He was here to support the Nipissing-Timiskaming federal NDP candidate Kathleen Jodouin.
Mulcair laid out his plans for Canada’s future. “Canadians want the federal government to work for good jobs in places like North Bay. We are going to work on resources and work with First Nations so that their rights are respected so that projects like the Ring of Fire will go through.”
Mulcair condemned Harper’s treatment of First Nations and his spending $100-million dollars a year fighting them in court. “Why don’t we take some of that money and build decent housing, water and education for the kids instead of having a confrontational approach. Understanding First Nations issues is essential to getting big development projects off the drawing board. ”
Mulcair says businesses in the aerospace industry need federal support. “At the recent Paris Air Show, there wasn’t a single representative of the conservative government. Now that is shocking with companies here in North Bay reliant on the aerospace sector. It is a scandal that this government has abandoned the aerospace sector.”
On climate change, Mulcair says he lowered emissions each year he was Quebec’s environment minister. “I would like to be at the Paris Conference on Climate Change in December to get us back on board working with the world and to stop working against the planet. I’d like Canada to start pulling its weight at these international conferences. This is the defining challenge of our time. We’ve got to come to grips with climate change.” Mulcair also wants to see the Canadian right to a clean environment in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Mulcair talked about the Senate and the recent scandals. “It is unelected therefore undemocratic and unresponsive. It doesn’t have to answer to anyone."
There were many in the crowd wearing Save door-to-door (Canada Post) t-shirts. During his speech Mulcair told them, “It is simply not true that Canada can’t afford door to door delivery and I will restore it.”
Another change to expect under an NDP federal government would be an increase in the minimum wage to $15, which Mulcair called a living wage. He says the increase would apply in federal jurisdictions, such as banks and telecommunications. “We don't accept it as inevitable that somebody should work full time and be in poverty.”
The federal NDP promises to enact $15 dollar a day childcare right across the country. Mulcair stated the money will come by scrapping Harper’s income splitting scheme.
Nipissing-Timiskaming NDP candidate Kathleen Jodouin has been knocking on doors in the region. “I’ve had positive responses because people are looking for change. With the Honorable Thomas Mulcair here in our riding, it shows the NDP feels Northern Ontario is a priority.”
The federal election is slated for October 19th.
