NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said affordable housing is high on the list of priorities for Canadians at a stop in Penticton with South Okanagan - West Kootenay MP Richard Cannings on Thursday morning.

NDP party leader and are in this morning, shaking hands and meeting people as a kick off to election campaigning.

害羞草研究所� Penticton Western News (@PentictonNews)

害羞草研究所淲e want to build half a million new homes. We want to give people a place to live that is affordable and we want to invest in co-operative housing and non-market places where people can have the confidence to live there for as long as they need and save up and keep that dream of homeownership alive,害羞草研究所� Singh told reporters before setting off on the final leg of Cannings害羞草研究所� annual Ride the Riding bike tour.

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If elected prime minister in the upcoming federal election this fall, Singh said his government would look at policies that ensure Canadians weren害羞草研究所檛 spending more than 25 to 30 per cent of their incomes on housing.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 got to be something you can afford to pay for and still have money left over to pay for the other necessities in life,害羞草研究所� he said.

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Healthcare costs, such as medication, are driving up the cost of living, Singh added.

害羞草研究所淧articularly for the aging population, we害羞草研究所檙e hearing concerns about the cost of medication and that is why our plan is to include universal access to medication,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚f you need to get medication in this country, you should use your healthcare, not a credit card. That害羞草研究所檚 what we want to bring and we are absolutely confident we can get it done in one year.害羞草研究所�

Related to issues with criminal convictions for drug possession and dealing with the opioid crisis in Canada, Singh said the federal government needs to take a different approach to the issues because the current ones are 害羞草研究所渘ot working.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e need to respond to that mental health, addiction and poverty issue with a healthcare response. We really need to take care of these folks and make sure that they actually get the supports they need for rehab so they are not in this position.害羞草研究所�

He said if the federal government wants to help saves lives, it needs to look at the root causes of addiction.

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害羞草研究所淚f someone is possessing personal amounts of an illicit substance, they are probably addicted and struggling with something. We need to deal with that root cause and we害羞草研究所檒l have a better society and we害羞草研究所檒l save lives.害羞草研究所�

In Penticton, families have expressed frustration with the high cost of childcare.

Singh said if elected, his government would be committed to a national childcare strategy that would aim for $10 a daycare. He said the federal NDP would develop universal, affordable childcare across Canada so it wasn害羞草研究所檛 a barrier for women who want to enter the workplace.

Cannings said the current climate crisis is the number one issue he is hearing about from people in the riding.

害羞草研究所淧eople are very, very concerned about the climate crisis. People feel the government, both the Liberals and Conservatives, are not doing enough. The (federal) Liberals have been saying the right things and just not doing anything, very little to get us through this climate crisis,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淐anada has to do its part, it害羞草研究所檚 too late to be a leader, but we have to get behind other countries in the world that are doing their part. China is doing even more than we are. We have to double down.害羞草研究所�

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.