The Leader of the federal NDP is putting his support behind Afghans fleeing the Taliban.
Several people died at the Kabul airport today as thousands of civilians tried to get onto planes leaving the country.
Campaigning in Toronto, Jagmeet Singh says Canada needs to do everything possible to help Afghans, especially those who assisted the Canadian military.
“Every single one of them should have a path to coming to Canada, them and their families at a minimum. And we need to be allies in supporting the relocation and providing safe refuge for those who are fleeing what is, right now, a really dangerous and scary situation,” Singh says.
The Liberals have committed to settle 20,000 Afghan refugees, but Singh has called for the government to expand eligibility for that program.
At the same announcement, the party Leader opened his campaign with a promise to tax the ultra-rich.
He says he wants to hold that group accountable for misusing pandemic supports.
Singh says his government would “make sure any company that abused the system, that took public money and then paid out dividends to their shareholders or increased executive pay, that we’re going to stop that, make sure they reimburse [the government for] that, and re-invest into people.”
Singh says that money could be redirected to things like pharmacare, dental care, and mental health services.
On the COVID-19 front, he is pushing for faster vaccinations even now that Parliament has been dissolved for the election.
He says it’s possible and necessary for Canada to focus on getting all federally-regulated industries vaccinated, and ideally issue vaccine passports, by Labour Day.
A lot of experts are saying, if we don’t do everything possible to get all adults vaccinated, it’s really kids that are going to be at risk when the school year resumes,” Singh argues. “So we think this is a priority, we believe this is a priority, and we’re going to do everything we can to get everyone vaccinated.”
