NDP leader set to run in Burnaby South

Federal New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh will run in an upcoming byelection in British Columbia.

A crowd cheered and clapped as Singh formally announced his nomination for the riding of Burnaby South at an event Saturday.

Singh told them he wants to have a strategy that will solve the housing crisis in Vancouver, reduce the cost of prescription medications and fight climate change by focusing on clean energy.

“What’s at stake is we’ve got a Liberal government that is not doing what people need,” he said.

“They are not taking the action that people need. Instead of investing and dealing with national housing crisis, they spent $4.5 billion on buying a pipeline,” Singh said as the crowd chanted, “shame.”

He blamed the Liberals and Conservatives for the current state of the country, saying the two parties don’t get and don’t care what people are going through nor are they willing to do what’s necessary for people.

“We have a government that is not willing to do what people need. And we had a Conservative government that put us in this position in the first place.”

“Together we can do it,” Singh said, adding that people are counting on the NDP and the party can’t let them down.

Singh announced his intention to run in the riding in early August.

Burnaby South was held by former New Democrat MP Kennedy Stewart, who gave it up on Friday to run for mayor of Vancouver.