Following Liberal victory in the October 19 federal election, labour leaders pledged to hold the new government accountable for the progressive promises it made.
“Canadians have soundly rejected the Conservatives’ politics of fear and division and have voted for change, and we look forward to working to ensure the Trudeau government delivers on the real change it has promised for working Canadians,” said Canadian Labour Congress president Hassan Yussuff.
Yussuff highlighted key Liberal campaign promises he hopes the new government will act upon swiftly. Those included:
- Providing Canadians with a more secure retirement by enhancing the Canada Pension Plan, restoring the eligibility age for Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement to 65, and increasing the GIS by 10 percent;
- Expanding training and apprenticeship opportunities to help Canadians – particularly young Canadians – find and keep good jobs;
- Significantly increasing infrastructure funding, including new, dedicated funding for public transit, social infrastructure like seniors and child care facilities, and green infrastructure;
- Beginning to turn back more than $36 billion in Conservative cuts to health care by investing $3 billion over the next four years to improve home care, mental health services and access to prescription drugs;
- Repealing the Conservatives’ fundamentally flawed, ideological anti-labour bills C-377 and C-525; and
- Immediately launching a national public inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.
Yussuff also raised significant concerns about the Liberals’ position on C-51 and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
The Society is also encouraged by the Liberals’ commitment to nuclear power as a key contributor to meeting climate change goals.
