Canada's NDP

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July 9th, 2020

Singh: Let's help families and our economy, not the wealthiest

OTTAWA - In light of the fiscal snapshot the Liberal government released yesterday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is reiterating that Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government should make the very richest bear the brunt of Canada's recovery, not families struggling to make ends meet.

"Throughout this pandemic, families have been struggling to pay their bills. And we’re not out of this pandemic yet. Come August, before most people will be able to return to work, people will run out of help," said Singh. "But with the fiscal snapshot, we heard Conservatives call for immediate cuts and we’ll see the Liberals use it as an excuse to cut back the very support that people still depend on. Justin Trudeau has a choice: cut the help people need or make the very richest pay their fair share. We know Canadians - and our economy - need support to continue."

Instead of looking for ways to cut help from those who need it most, the Prime Minister and the Liberal government need to stop letting the super rich avoid paying their fair share by handing them big tax giveaways and letting them hide billions in offshore tax havens. By stopping the use of tax havens, we could recover billions a year. And by making the very richest - those who have more than $20 million in wealth - pay a little bit more would give us an additional revenue of $5.6 billion a year.

"Justin Trudeau has a choice - he can continue to give the wealthiest a free pass, and cut the help that Canadians need to get through this crisis. Or he can bring in more revenue by making those at the very top pay their fair share," added Singh. "New Democrats know which choice we would make. We will always be on the side of working people, not big corporations and the super wealthy. It's time Justin Trudeau is clear about who he's working for."