If the NDP are elected in September, they will commit to manufacturing personal protective equipment at home.
Campaigning in B.C. on Tuesday, leader Jagmeet Singh said when the pandemic hit, Canada couldn’t get the PPE needed because it wasn’t being produced here.
He said we are lucky to have Canadian companies that shifted their operations to start producing it.
“But it shouldn’t have to be that people scramble to solve this problem. What we need to do is make sure we are investing and supporting local manufacturing in Canada particularly manufacturing equipment that will keep workers safe,” Singh said.
Singh said the Liberals and Conservatives dismantled the manufacturing industry in Canada allowing money and jobs to be shipped overseas.
The NDP leader and his Liberal counterpart agree on one thing, the Taliban is a terrorist organization.
Singh described the events in Afghanistan as “horrifying”.
“We’ve seen just incredibly scary images coming out of people in desperation trying to flee what they know is likely death or severe persecution,” Singh said.
Singh said seeing people clinging to airplanes and so desperate to leave shows how dangerous the situation is.
On the subject of vaccinations, Jagmeet Singh was asked if he’s concerned about the debate surrounding vaccinations becoming politicized.
He said he is concerned about it but said he knows Canadians just want to keep each other safe.
“‘Would you do whatever it takes to take care of your neighbours? Would you be a part of an initiative to make sure we keep kids are safe? People want to do that. So I think we need to put more emphasis on trusting that Canadians want to do what’s best but we need to provide people with more education, more awareness and more transparency,” Singh said.
