Canada's NDP

NDP

February 25th, 2021

COVID-19: Jagmeet Singh and Mayor Valérie Plante determined to revive Montreal

MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh met with Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante to discuss the fight against COVID-19 and the most pressing issues for the city's economic recovery. Singh recalled his commitment to doubling the gas tax fund, a measure that would make new funding available to revitalize downtown areas and support the construction of new infrastructure.

"It was a great pleasure to speak with the mayor. We both share a similar vision of the issues we need to address now to get Montreal back on its feet," said Singh. " The city's recovery must not come at the expense of those most in need. We must continue to fight the housing crisis. We applaud the mayor's leadership on this issue."

The other public health crisis that is hitting the Montreal region hard is the opioid overdose crisis. The NDP would like to highlight the many efforts invested by the mayor in mitigating this crisis.

"The ball is now in the Liberals' court: they refuse to decriminalize simple drug possession," said Singh. "The NDP will continue to fight to ensure that issues related to addiction are considered matters of public health and not criminality."

The NDP leader also discussed the fight against systemic racism with Ms. Plante. The NDP recognizes the efforts of her administration to tackle this issue head on. The mayor knows that she will find an ally in Singh’s leadership in Ottawa in fighting against systemic racism.
The NDP applauds the work of Mayor Plante and will continue to fight to make Montreal a better place for everyone.