This past year has been a difficult one for many Canadians. Across the country housing remains difficult to find and afford, while grocery prices are still sky-high. Now Donald Trump is threatening our economy with tariffs. Here in southern B.C. we once again felt the impact of the climate crisis, with a flash frost in the Okanagan that wiped out grape and soft fruit harvests and a July heat wave that brought wildfires to the West Kootenay.
Throughout these challenges, my NDP colleagues and I have kept focused on helping those who truly need that help the most. In 2024 we continued to expand access to dental care and as a result over a million Canadians were able to go to the dentist, many for the first time in years. Through preliminary pharmacare legislation, Canadians now have access to free diabetes medications and devices, literally saving the lives of hundreds of young Canadians who die needlessly every year in our country. We also made free birth control a reality, a vital step in ensuring accessible reproductive health care for everyone.
Our fight for affordability brought temporary GST relief, and we continue to push for permanent changes that would remove the GST from essentials such as home heating and children’s clothing. After years of work we finally have anti-scab legislation to protect workers in federal sectors across the country, something that workers in BC have had for decades. And we delivered significant tax breaks for volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers who give so much to their communities.
We’ve secured a national childcare program that prioritizes public and non-profit providers, ensuring that families have access to quality care at prices they can afford. Meanwhile, our advocacy for a national school food program means hungry kids across the country will get the nutrition they need to learn and thrive. In health care, we’ve made progress holding the government to its promised 5 per cent increase to Canada Health Transfer to provinces. We also secured an $8.3 billion investment in Indigenous housing, addressing critical gaps in services and infrastructure. Our commitment to renters saw us launch a rental protection fund to keep affordable housing in the hands of Canadians, not corporate landlords. During this cost-of-living crisis, we delivered a $500 housing benefit to help families stay afloat.
Not all Canadians are struggling. Billionaires and big corporations are making record profits. The NDP continues to push them to pay their fair share in taxes and fix the competition laws to make sure that gas prices, groceries, internet and cell phone fees are fair and reasonable.
These achievements are proof of what a government can accomplish when it is focused on the difficulties faced by everyday people. But let’s be clear: these wins came despite a Liberal government more focused on itself and internal drama than on Canadians. Justin Trudeau has failed in the biggest job a Prime Minister has – working for people, not the powerful. While we fought to secure dental care, free birth control, school lunch programs, and diabetes medication, Trudeau resisted every step of the way and the Conservatives voted against it all.
It’s time for a change. Canadians deserve a government that works for them, not for billionaires and CEOs. That’s why the NDP will bring forward a motion of non-confidence when Parliament returns. This government’s time is up, and no matter who leads the Liberal Party, they don’t deserve another chance. Trudeau can shuffle his cabinet, but he will keep disappointing us.
The work ahead won’t be easy. Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives are waiting in the wings with plans to cut health care, housing funding, and pensions, all while giving handouts to their CEO friends. We cannot let them undo the progress we’ve made. We can’t go back to the years of silencing scientists and gutting the services we rely upon.
Imagine a Canada where a good job gets you a home, a fridge full of groceries, and the chance to save for your future. A Canada where health care is there for you, free and accessible, when you need it.
So this holiday season, as we gather with loved ones and look ahead to the New Year, let’s remember what we’ve achieved together and recommit to building a fairer, greener, more prosperous country – a Canada that works for everyone.
From my family to yours, Merry Christmas and a hopeful, prosperous New Year.
Richard Cannings
MP, South Okanagan – West Kootenay
