The federal election has yet to be called but there were signs this week in the Tri-Cities that the race is heating up.
Thursday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh spoke about how small businesses in the Tri-Cities are being affected during the pandemic; the online event also featured Coquitlam Coun. Bonita Zarrillo, who ran for the party in the last federal election, and Anna Teglasi, who runs a travel agency in the Tri-Cities.
Singh’s virtual appearance came just after Liberal MP Harjit Sajjan, the minister of national defence, delivered a keynote speech to the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce about government procurement.
And on Thursday, Coquitlam resident Will Davis told the Tri-City News he’s seeking the Liberal nomination in the riding of Port Moody-Coquitlam — a riding that’s being contested by Kyle Demes for the Liberals as well.
Incumbent MPs around B.C. have also issued a number of press releases lately to rally support in the community and toe the party line: NDP MP Peter Julian on Thursday called on the federal government to pay for firefighter training to handle potential fires related to the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project.
Meanwhile, the Tri-Cities’ two MPs have already secured their spots for the next election: Both Liberal MP Ron McKinnon (Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam) and Conservative MP Nelly Shin (Port Moody-Coquitlam) were acclaimed last year.
NDP PLAN
As for Singh’s presentation, the NDP leader said big banks and corporations profited during the pandemic under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership — leaving small businesses struggling to keep afloat.
He predicted one out of 10 small businesses in Canada will close because of the financial hardships during COVID-19. “They’ve been ignored,” he said, noting some business owners are now losing their life savings. “It doesn’t have to be that way.”
Under the NDP’s plan, it will extend the wage subsidy program until the pandemic is over, ensure the rent subsidy program is kept and roll out a hiring bonus to pay the employer portions of Employment Insurance and the Canadian Pension Plan for new or rehired staff.
