Jagmeet Singh and the NDP continue fighting for people in Nunavut

IQALUIT – This week, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh travelled to Nunavut to speak to residents and local leaders about the issues affecting people in the territory. Alongside the NDP MP for Nunavut, Lori Idlout, Singh committed to addressing the drinking water crisis, the housing crisis and to continue pushing the Liberals to improve infrastructure to help make northern communities more resilient to the effects of climate change.

“I am really excited to be back in Nunavut again and meet with some of the amazing people who live here. Inuit and Nunavummiut have been dealing with a lot due to ageing infrastructure affecting housing and clean drinking water,” said Singh. “No one should have to live like this. It is the federal government’s responsibility to give communities the support they need to thrive. New Democrats will make sure people in Nunavut and across Canada have access to such basic things as clean water and housing.”

The NDP has been calling on the Liberal government to address the ageing infrastructure and the lack of housing in the territory which is having a significant negative impact on the health and wellbeing of residents.

Weeks ago, the city and territory jointly asked the Liberal government for $180 million needed to fix the water supply. Today, New Democrats are urging the Trudeau government to provide the necessary funding for people in Iqaluit to have safe drinking water and to ensure the communities in the north have the infrastructure they need to meet the challenges created by the climate crisis in the future.

“I am grateful that Jagmeet came to Iqaluit to meet the people I represent. I am excited to work with Jagmeet and my NDP colleagues to improve the lives of Inuit and Nunavummiut,” said Idlout. “It is unacceptable that in a country as rich as Canada we have been forced to live in ageing, mouldy houses and without access to clean drinking water. I will continue to push the Liberal government and work with local leaders to improve the lives of people in the territory. Indigenous people deserve to be lifted out of poverty, a condition imposed on them by decades of unfair and inadequate resourcing.”