FEDERAL NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh on Tuesday reacting to the federal government’s budget, said that for months, his party has fought to have measures in the budget that lower costs for hardworking people. However, today, he slammed the Liberals for “failing to tackle the corporate greed driving up prices and gouging Canadians.”

Singh said: “We forced Justin Trudeau to build more homes and protect renters, to make birth control and diabetes medication free and to help feed hungry kids at school. This is a glimpse of what an NDP government could do – but this is not an NDP budget. Justin Trudeau will not take on the corporate greed that is driving up Canadians’ bills. The prime minister refused to reverse Pierre Poilievre’s $60 billion corporate handouts or put in place an excess profits tax. It’s disappointing the Liberals haven’t shown more courage.”

The NDP said that in this budget, it delivered: free birth control for 9 million Canadians and diabetes medication for 3.7 million Canadians; a national program providing free meals at school so all children can focus and learn, and parents get a break; protection for renters from losing their affordable homes to speculators; investments to make non-profit and quality childcare more accessible; funding to create a Red Dress Alert, to address the legacy of residential schools and to fight against residential school denialism; help for younger Canadians to access the mental health care they need with a new Youth Mental Health Fund; and support for communities with the doubling of the Volunteer Firefighters Tax Credit and the Search and Rescue Volunteers Tax Credit.

But the NDP also expressed concern about the low amount of money for the Canadian disability benefit, the loss of 5,000 public sector workers which will slow down the delivery of services for Canadians, and the lack of additional funding to close the gap for Indigenous infrastructure and housing as well as for Jordan’s principle – which ensures equal services for Indigenous children.

Singh said: “There is so much more Ottawa can do to make life easier for people. Justin Trudeau has had nine budgets to make life better and more affordable, but Canadians are still falling farther behind. Pierre Poilievre will make things worse for working people with his cuts to services and programs people depend on.

“Imagine what we can do with a New Democrat government that does what’s best for families, not billionaires. Canadians need a federal government that works for you, not big corporations, so you can build a good life.”