Mathyssen says Liberals need to make good on housing promises in federal budget
While the federal NDP said it has not decided whether it will support the Liberals’ federal budget tabled last week, London Fanshawe New Democrat MP Lindsay Mathyssen said the party needs to see more.
Mathyssen told CTV News London Saturday that NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has been meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in hopes of conveying what the party needs to see.
“We’re certainly happy with some aspects of it,” said Mathyssen. “There’s money for pharmacare in there, there’s money for dental care, there are the things that we’ve been pushing that will help Canadians with a lot of the costs that they’re facing, but we need to see more.”
The federal government unveiled its 2024 budget on April 16, which included major plans to boost new housing stock.
According to the budget, the government wants to build 3.9 million new homes by 2031, using a string of measures with spending spread out over the next several years.
Mathyssen issued a note of caution when speaking about future housing commitments, including that a Pierre Poilievre Conservative government would not be willing to support such measures.
“I too am worried about what might happen after the next election,” said Mathyssen. “There are parties that don’t believe that housing needs to be a government issue. They’d rather leave it to the market, but that cannot be the case.”
The Liberals also announced dollar amounts for their long-promised Canada Disability Benefit: $6.1 billion over six years and $1.4 billion ongoing.
Mathyssen said the NDP has made it clear to the Liberal government that they expect the disability benefit to be increased “because no one should be living in poverty, and we know that people who live with disabilities are really significantly impacted.”
The New Democrats have an agreement in place to support the Liberal government on confidence and budgetary votes in exchange for movement on key policy priorities.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Grayson Murray's parents say the two-time PGA Tour winner died of suicide
Grayson Murray's parents said Sunday their 30-year-old son took his own life, just one day after he withdrew from a PGA Tour event.
Blaine Higgs 'furious' over sexual education presentation
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
Some birds may use 'mental time travel,' study finds
Real quick — what did you have for lunch yesterday? Were you with anyone? Where were you? Can you picture the scene? The ability to remember things that happened to you in the past, especially to go back and recall little incidental details, is a hallmark of what psychologists call episodic memory — and new research indicates that it’s an ability humans may share with birds called Eurasian jays.
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
Indianapolis 500 delayed as strong storm forces fans to evacuate Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The start of the Indianapolis 500 was delayed as a strong storm pushed through the area Sunday, forcing Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials to evacuate about 125,000 fans who had already arrived for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
Hamas rocket attack from Gaza sets off air raid sirens in Tel Aviv for the first time in months
Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months on Sunday in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israel's massive air, sea and ground offensive.
At least 13 dead in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after severe weather roars across region
Powerful storms killed at least 13 people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where dozens sought shelter in a restroom during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.