NDP: Justin Trudeau and the Liberals are abandoning Nunavut and the North

IQALUIT— On Friday, Canada’s NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh visited Iqaluit to discuss the issues people in the north are experiencing. Singh and NDP MP Lori Idlout (Nunavut) have been meeting with the premier and MLAs, and it’s clear that the housing crisis and high grocery prices are huge problems in the territory.

Singh says the Liberals are abandoning Nunavut and the north on important issues like housing. As of March 2022, the waitlist for public housing across Nunavut was 3,021. Just two weeks ago, the Liberal government announced an investment that would only build 21 new housing units. Clearly, the federal government is not meeting the needs of Nunavut.

“The Liberals are out of touch with the reality that people are living, especially in communities like Iqaluit. And over nine years in government, Pierre Poilievre kept cuts to affordable housing. Since becoming leader, he hasn’t put forward a plan to bring down the cost of groceries for northern communities. It doesn’t have to be like this,” said Singh ''People in Nunavut have seen what it’s like when you elect a New Democrat instead of a Liberal. Lori has fought for investments for water infrastructure, and she got protections for Indigenous rights for firearms, funding for Indigenous housing and immediate support for families coping with high food prices with GST rebates.

We’ll keep pushing for immediate action on housing and food prices in Nunavut. While Liberals are busy protecting the profits of the NorthWest Company, the NDP is fighting to lower food prices for everyone.”
The NDP calls on the federal government to support Nunavut request for a $500 million fund to build 3,000 homes in the territory by 2030. The NDP is also calling on the Liberals to provide more funding for community housing providers like co-operative and non-profit organizations.

Regarding food prices, New Democrats are fighting for the implementation of an excess profit tax to ensure big grocery stores pay what they owe and for that money to be redistributed to help people buy theirgroceries. The NDP also called for Nutrition North to be reformed and for the subsidy to go directly to people instead of going to large corporations.
“Everyone should be able to find a place they can afford that’s safe and fits their family’s needs. All Nunavummiut should be able to afford good, nutritious food to feed their families. But, under the Liberal government, help isn’t coming to Nunavut,” said Idlout. “The price of food and supplies continues to be out of reach for many people. And when families go to the store, they find the food they do have is expired, rotten, or not good enough to feed their kids. Nutrition North isn’t meeting the needs of the community, and the Liberals are just standing by.

Unlike the other two parties, New Democrats are fighting for immediate actions to tackle the housing crisis and for changes that serve working people in the north.”