Liberals are failing to help people in Greater Vancouver with rising cost of living
While the cost of living keeps going up and people struggle to make ends meet, the Liberals fail to deliver the help Canadians urgently need
Vancouver — Today, NDP MPs from Greater Vancouver reiterate their call on the Trudeau government to make life more affordable for Canadians. They say that the Liberals must do more to help people access affordable housing, make cell phone and internet bills less expensive and ensure people can retrofit their homes and reduce their heating costs.
“As the cost of essentials rise, the government has a responsibility to help Canadians get by,” said NDP MP Peter Julian (New Westminster–Burnaby). “Canadians know that now is not the time for cuts; it’s time for real investment in our communities. Investments like retrofitting houses to improve energy efficiency will create jobs, help fight climate change, and reduce the cost of living.”
“While life is becoming less affordable every day, it’s important to remember that the struggles of the pandemic are not over,” stated NDP MP Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody–Coquitlam). “I think about the people with disabilities in my riding and I know that just the required PPE is difficult to afford on disability payments. This government has to make the cost of living more affordable, or they will leave the most vulnerable even further behind.”
As we hear stories of Canadians being pushed into debt because of the impacts of the pandemic, Justin Trudeau isn’t hearing their call for help. Under his Liberal government, the average cost of a home is 38 per cent higher than it was a year ago and yet he has done nothing to stop the wealthy speculators who are driving up housing prices. New Democrats have been consistent and clear: to help people find a home they can afford in the communities where they live and work, the Liberals must build 500,000 units of affordable and social housing across the country.
“The affordable housing crisis is getting worse and worse,” said NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East). “Under the Liberal’s watch, Canada lost 183,000 units of low-income social housing. That’s more affordable housing units than what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s National Housing Strategy promises to create. While the Liberals let massive corporations off the hook, people who can’t afford housing are forced to live on the winter streets even in the dead of winter. The only way to solve this is to build affordable non-market homes. The federal government can do this, they just need the political will to act.” “So many people are struggling to get by, and New Democrats have dozens of proposals that will make life more affordable for regular Canadians,” stated NDP MP Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway). “We urge the government to follow our lead and act. For example, let’s finally implement a public pharmacare program so no one has to choose between their medication and groceries. Doing nothing shows the Liberals either don’t understand or don’t care about the real plight faced by Canadians.” Source: NDP Media Centre: