As Parliament wraps up, MP Cannings wants more support for Canadians
By Dick Cannings MP
Last week, as Parliament held its last session until is resumes in mid-September, local MP Richard Cannings is calling for government to do more to support Canadians.
Cannings is one of 24 New Democrat MPs in Parliament that have successfully punched above their weight in the minority government. The NDP’s consistent pressure has secured significant improvements to pandemic support including doubling the Canadian Emergency Relief Benefit (CERB) to $2000 and making it available to small business owners, students and part-time workers. They also fought successfully to extend it by 12 weeks.
“Canadians have made huge sacrifices to keep each other safe throughout the pandemic. They need the government to have their backs. When Justin Trudeau wanted to offer the bare minimum to people, we pushed him every step of the way to make things better” said Cannings referring to the NDP’s success at increasing the wage subsidy from 10 per cent to 75 per cent to help workers keep their jobs and ensured small business owners had more help paying their rent.
As British Columbians face some of the hottest temperatures on record, Cannings points out that New Democrats worked with the government to secure climate accountability in legislation. New Democrats fought for bolder action on the climate crisis and demanded more progress reports for Canadians who no longer trust this government to hit their climate targets.
“Since the beginning of this Parliament, we have shown that we are ready to work with the government as long as they work for people and not the ultra-rich and powerful. We are going to continue to support initiatives that make Canadians’ lives better” said Cannings.
Today, NDP MP Richard Cannings says his party will continue to push for more.
Since the last election, the Liberals and Conservatives blocked the NDP’s proposal for pharmacare, leaving millions of people struggling to afford the prescription drugs they need to be healthy. They also refused to support the NDP’s plan to deliver dental coverage for 6.7 million Canadians and refused to support a wealth tax on the super-rich.
“New Democrats have shown that we can work with other parties to get Canadians the help they need. And, right now, they don’t need another election. If the Prime Minister chooses to go to an election, it’s not because the house doesn’t work; it’s a play to try to get more power for Liberals. When you send New Democrats to Ottawa, we fight for you and your family not the rich and powerful,“ added Cannings.
Richard Cannings and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh will be hosting an online end-of-session townhall in early July for any community members interested in hearing more about their work or wishing to give their feedback on priorities and concerns of the region. Details will be released at RichardCannings.ndp.ca
Throughout the summer Cannings said he looks forward to cautiously returning to in-person meetings with the communities he serves and will focus on listening and gathering feedback and ideas to bring back to Ottawa.
