There was some fire in Sunday’s NDP Leadership debate in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and local MP Charlie Angus was in the thick of it.

He, along with other candidates pushed newest candidate Jagmeet Singh on his committment to the federal party and his position on the controversial TransMountain pipeline expansion in Alberta and B-C.

A new segment during the debate called “Question Period” allowed candidates to ask each other questions.

Angus and Singh got into a slight back-and-forth when the Timmins-James Bay MP asked Ontario’s Deputy NDP Leader if he planned to run in the federal election if he lost the leadership vote.

“I think that that’s something that people here certainly across Canada, where your teams are, are going to want to know. Where will you be? Will you be with us, or do you go back to Ontario?”

Singh tells Angus that his track record shows he’s campaigned nationwide as Ontario’s Deputy NDP Leader and in the last federal election in his riding in the GTA.

He insists New Democrats need to be united at both the provincial and federal level across the country.

“I’ll continue to do all I can to make sure our progressive vision, our bold vision for a better, more just Canada is realized across this beautiful (country),” Singh responded.

With no committal to an answer, Angus retorted: “So does that mean we’re waiting for the policy announcement? Because it’s a simple question.”

Angus explains Ontario is getting set for an election around June 2018, and at the same time, the federal parties need to be ready to go for the 2019 federal election.

“You have to make a decision,” Angus adds, “And I guess I’m asking you this because you’re telling Canadians to have courage and join you. I would suggest that you show courage and tell us, are you going to join us?”

“Sometimes people can’t take yes for an answer,” Singh says, and continued while enduring Angus asking him twice if he’s giving up his seat.

“It’s not your turn, my friend,” Singh said twice.

Aftwewards, Angus was questioned by candidate Niki Ashton on free tuition for students.

“I think it’s a fantastic step forward, it’s where we need to be,” Angus answered, “The question for me right now is what is the cost (and) how do we implement it with provincial jurisdictions.”

He adds at the federal level, they could end the “crushing levels of interest on student debt,” calling it “unconscionable” that Bombardier gets interest-free loans and students don’t.

He fired back at Ashton, asking what the cost would be. Ashton says the Canadian Federation of Students and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives proposed reinstating federal funding of around $3.8 billion dollars.

Ashton adds they could possibly fund it by taking away from a recent increase to $13 billion in military spending.

Angus says that $3.8 billion number doesn’t get them all the way. He adds while he’s open to taking it away from the military spending, he asks what do they do in the meantime with provincial jurisdictions, some of which have universities that could “crank up the debt.”

 

OTHER NOTES

Angus referred to Liberal MP’s from Atlantic Canada as “silent.” He says unlike them, he isn’t going to “sell out your region to privatization schemes and P3 hospitals.  (The Liberals are) in it for their Bay Street pals. I’m in it for you.”

When asked what his first Legislation would be as Prime Minister, Angus—without skipping a beat—says he would do two things, one of which is “sell off 24 Sussex as a group home.  I think that’ll help the property values.”

The second thing continued his commitment to First Nations.

“We’re going to make sure that no more Indigenous children die because government refuses to spend the money.  We will make us compliant with the human rights law.”

The next debate will be held in Saskatoon on July 11th.

(With files from The Canadian Press)

Filed under: Local News