Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh promised to bring students’ concerns to Parliament Hill in a meet-and-greet event at Ollie’s Pub & Patio on Sept. 24.
More than 150 students attended the “Meet the Leader” event, co-hosted by the Carleton University New Democrats and the University of Ottawa NDP.
Singh entered Ollie’s to applause, then toured the room with his two daughters in tow, giving high-fives and taking selfies. After a brief speech, he mingled with the crowd and spoke to students for more than an hour.
“Young people, university students, high school students really got me elected,” Singh told the Charlatan. “I never want to forget the people that brought me here in the first place.”
Singh said many decisions the government makes disproportionately impact young people, so there is a greater responsibility to hear and address their concerns.
He told attendees that they should be able to afford groceries and a home, get a job they are passionate about and live without worrying about climate disasters. He promised to listen to student voices and forgive up to $40,000 of federal student debt if elected to government.
Having a federal leader engaging with students on campus was “huge,” said Gabriel Trozzi Stamou, co-chair of the Carleton New Democrats.
With “dynamic” leaders like Singh and Ontario leader Marit Stiles having attended campus events, it’s an exciting time to be a young New Democrat, Trozzi Stamou said.
“We have a party structure that is really open to young voices,” he added. “What really is important to me is being in a party where I feel represented.”
Meet-and-greet events are important for connecting people with their politicians, said James Adair, co-president of the University of Ottawa NDP.
“The value of having people in power come to these things is that for an hour, two hours, however long, they actually get to hear ‘What do people care about? What are people feeling?’” Adair said.
Adair’s co-president, Elnaz Enayatpour, said she hopes the event reminded attendees that they play an “active part” in politics.
“It gets me really excited about the kind of politics that we’re building, what the future is going to look like and how young people can be a bigger part of it,” Enayatpour said.
He promised to fight climate change, protect public healthcare and improve affordability by building co-operative and not-for-profit housing if elected to government. Singh pointed to dental care and pharmacare as proof of campaign promises kept.
During the 2021 federal election campaign, the NDP promised to enact universal pharmacare by 2022 and work toward a universal dental care plan, if elected to government. Both dental care and pharmacare were conditions of the NDP’s supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberal government.
Singh and the NDP have taken credit for the government’s action on dental care and pharmacare.
In December 2021, the federal government launched an insurance program to cover routine dental care for all uninsured Canadians with an annual household income under $90,000. Originally promised to roll out by the end of 2024, the program will now be fully implemented in 2025.
The Pharmacare Act, which would provide free coverage for contraception and diabetes medications, is currently under consideration by the Senate. The government said the plan will eventually cover all prescription drugs, but it has not provided a clear timeline for the expansion.
“I really believe in public health care. I believe in public services,” Singh told attendees. “Everyone should have that bright future. That’s the kind of country we want to build.”
The next federal election will be held by October 2025, but may be called earlier after the NDP ended its supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberal government on Sept. 4. The NDP has never won the largest share of seats at the federal level and has thus never formed a federal government, but Singh told his attendees victory is within reach.
“It’s a big uphill challenge, but … I’ve been a fighter my whole life,” Singh told attendees. “Together, we’re going to show that it is possible — we can win and we need to win for people.”
The idea of hope will be a driving factor behind the NDP campaign, Singh told the Charlatan.
“People should be angry at injustice, but anger can only take you so far,” Singh said. “Hope is a more powerful force.”
Featured image by Douaa Qadadia
