Thursday, March 28, 2024

NDP “New Deal” plan for BC will focus on protecting coastlines and affordable housing

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On Wednesday morning, federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh announced his “New Deal” plan for British Columbia.

If elected, Singh vows that his government would focus on climate action and tackling the housing crisis in BC.

See also: Province says over 99% of British Columbians won’t have to pay speculation tax

In his speeches shared both in person and online, the NDP leader states the importance of protecting the province’s coastline and criticizes Trudeau’s Liberal government for failing to do so.

“[Trudeau] said he’d do something about climate change – but he’s let big polluters off the hook and bought a $4.5 billion pipeline,” says Singh.

He plans to create a dedicated RCMP unit to tackle money laundering – which has been identified as a major factor in BC’s housing crisis – at a cost of $20 million per year.

Singh also talked about creating a national registry to identify individuals and companies that attempt to hide profits made by buying and selling real estate.

Another proposal is the creation of a 15% national foreign buyers’ tax for non-Canadian citizens or permanent residents who purchase real estate, as a solution to speculation. This tax would be applied on top of the 20% speculation and vacancy tax that already exists in some parts of BC.

“Our plan invests in the services British Columbians need, helps make housing more affordable, stands up for our coast, and delivers new jobs and training so British Columbians can have a more secure future in the community they call home,” says Singh.

Jagmeet Singh has been serving as the leader of the NDP since 2017 and is running for re-election in the Burnaby South riding.

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Brishti Basu
Former Senior Staff Writer and Content Manager at Victoria Buzz.

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