Singh takes Carney to task on service cuts for people, tax cut for the ultra-wealthy in speech to unions

EDMONTON—In an address to workers at the Canadian Labour Congress Political Action Conference in Edmonton, Canada’s NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said cuts from Justin Trudeau’s likely successor, Mark Carney, and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre would hurt middle class families and help million-dollar-earners.

Carney revealed Wednesday that he’ll "spend less” and cut services to balance the budget. Meanwhile, he’s promised a capital gains tax cut for those earning an average of $1.4 million every year.

In contrast, Singh said it’s time to focus on middle class services and jobs in the face of Trump’s tariff threats. That’s why Singh is championing a plan to undertake a large public infrastructure-building program using 100 per cent Canadian steel and aluminum, and creating jobs for Canadian construction and trades workers.

“Pierre Poilievre will use any excuse to cut programs and lay off public sector workers. That’s what Conservatives do. But what Mark Carney is proposing deserves a closer look,” said Singh in the address. “Carney says he’ll ‘shrink’ the public service. We know that means less help for Canadians. More unemployment. He says he’ll balance the operating budget in three years. This is the budget that pays for things like health care, EI, pensions. That means cuts. And he wants to reverse the capital gains tax changes – letting people who make over a million dollars a year pay less than people who work for a living.

I think that’s wrong. Cutting services people count on and handing out more to the billionaires—that’s not the Canada I want. Instead, let’s build a Canada that puts people first – that puts workers first. That’s what I will do, and that’s why my plan is to build.”

Singh warned against leaders who will want “to make Canada look more like Trump’s America – where billionaires rule and working people pay the price.”