Hughes urges Liberals to help northerners with cost of living

As inflation drives up the cost of living for people in Northern Ontario, NDP MP, Carol Hughes is calling on the government to offer some relief in this week’s Fiscal Update.

Hughes points to affordable housing, cell phone and internet bills, and even assistance with energy efficient retrofits to reduce heating costs as ways that the government could deliver assistance to northerners.

“Families in the north are finding it harder to make ends meet and the pandemic only made that worse,” said Hughes.  “Despite that, the Liberals cut essential supports like the CRB that people relied on.  New Democrats know that ‘s not right which is why we’re committed to pushing this government to provide the supports people need.”

The Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP pointed out that housing costs are ballooning under Justin Trudeau’s watch with average price up 38% in one year while home heating bills are also expected to rise over the winter.  At the same time, Canadians pay some of the highest cell phone and internet rates in the world and are waiting for a promised cap on prices to be established.

“New Democrats won’t stop fighting to make life more affordable for Canadian families,” said Hughes. “This government promised to reduce the price of your internet and cellphone bills, but they choose not to do it.”

Hughes notes that New Democrats are urging the Liberals to build 500,000 units of affordable housing across the country and to change the definition of ‘affordable’ so any investments made really do go toward creating housing Canadians can actually afford.

“The government has to decide if they want to foster affordable housing or help their wealthy friends,” said Hughes. “Right now it looks like they are on the side of speculators and investors more than families in need, which is why New Democrats are pushing so hard on this.”