NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he has a plan to create one million new jobs if his party is elected to govern in the next federal election.
Making a campaign-style announcement in Windsor's Reaume Park Wednesday morning, the leader of the federal NDP said it would do it by investing in new infrastructure, public transit, homes, and transitioning to a carbon-neutral economy.
Singh said it starts with making more materials in Canada, and using them in domestic projects, new ones and retrofitting existing infrastructure to withstand climate change.
However, the well-being of workers would help reach his party's goal. He said it would also bring back domestic vaccine production, make personal protective equipment for the next pandemic, and improve working conditions.
"It's not good enough to just talk about celebrating essential workers. We need to protect essential workers," said Singh. "For New Democrats, there is no plan for jobs that doesn't start with better work for workers."
He repeated his party's platform includes universal pharmacare and dental care programs. Singh also said the federal government could show leadership by adopting a $15 minimum wage.
Singh did not say how much an NDP government would have to pay upfront but did reiterate his party's promise it would put a greater onus on the super-wealthy to pay their share.
"In this pandemic, workers had to sacrifice a lot. Small businesses were shut down and had to sacrifice a lot. You know who didn't sacrifice? The ultra-rich," he said. "The ultra-rich have often hidden their money using offshore havens and loopholes."
He said an ongoing tax on the super-wealthy, closing loopholes in the tax code, and make it harder to hide their wealth in other countries.
He pointed out many foreign companies profited "tremendously" in Canada but do not pay taxes to the federal government.
