Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) leader was in Edmonton on Tuesday.
Jagmeet Singh spent time with local NDP MP’s and candidates in the Capital City, where the party hopes to increase its seats during the upcoming federal election.
Blake Desjarlais and Heather McPherson are the only two NDP MPs in Alberta, both sitting in Edmonton ridings.
Tuesday morning, Singh met with NDP Edmonton Centre candidate Trisha Estabrooks at an event where he vowed to protect public health care – calling Alberta “ground zero for the privatization of health care.”
“The health care that we have today is not something that happened by chance,” Singh said. “Tommy Douglas fought tooth and nail with Canadians to say, ‘Everyone in our country deserves the best quality care. It shouldn’t matter how much you earn or what’s in your bank account.”
“Health care must remain public,” Estabrooks said. “It must remain accessible and equitable, not a privilege to reserve for just only those who can pay.”
Estabrooks stepped down as board chair of Edmonton Public Schools in 2023 to run for an NDP nomination. She will attempt to take the riding for the NDP after three elections that saw it flip from Liberal to Conservative and back again between 2015 and 2021.
Incumbent Liberal MP Randy Boissannault, who won the seat in 2021 with 577 votes over sitting Conservative James Cumming, will not be seeking re-election. Estabrooks will run against Liberal Eleanor Olszewski and Conservative Sayid Ahmed.
Later in the day, Singh met with McPherson in her riding of Edmonton Strathcona where he went door knocking at Southwoods Village Townhomes. Residents of the complex have recently reported steep rent increases after the complex was taken over by a new owner.
One of the NDP’s campaign promises includes banning corporate landlords from buying and raising rents on affordable housing, as well as bolstering the Rental Protection Fund and cutting financial support for corporate landlords who overcharge tenants.
“I pay $1,325 right now and I had to agree to $1,745 or $1,845 in three months or move out,” one resident of 19 years told Singh and McPherson.
Another woman told Singh her rent was increasing by more than $400 a month.
“This is an example (of) exactly what we’re talking about when we say we want to stop this from happening,” Singh said.
“Sorry it’s happening, but it’s good to hear your story so we can showcase that this is what is a problem. This should not be happening.”
The NDP have held the Edmonton Strathcona riding since 2008. McPherson won in 2019 after long-time MP Linda Duncan retired, and she will look to hold her position against Conservative Miles Berry and Liberal Ronald Thiering.
Singh left Edmonton Tuesday night to meet with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew.
