Federal NDP leader looking to make inroads in northern Ontario

SUDBURY -

Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has his eyes on Sudbury, making a second campaign stop in northern Ontario in as many weeks.

Many consider both Sudbury and Nickel Belt to be toss-ups with many wondering if either of the ridings will go 'orange,' Sudbury in particular now which has no incumbent running.

"We're spending time here because we're going to win this riding," he smiled to the applause in the room. "We're going to have two new members that are going to represent Sudbury and Nickel Belt."

The NDP leader spoke people in the room about closing loopholes and cracking down big corporations avoiding what he sees as their fair share in taxes. 

Singh was also asked about his hopes for northern Ontario while he was addressing the national media in Sudbury Sunday morning.

"Is it fair to say it's 'open season' for your party right now and that you have a very strong chance in these ridings or do you think that the Liberals could take them," asked the reporter.

"We think we have incredible candidates and we're very confident that people are going to vote for Andreane and Nadia but we also know that the people of the north have been, in this community particularly we know that people have been let down by the Liberals," said Singh.

"Laurentian University, very vital university in the north, was allowed to bankrupt and was allowed lose a lot of programs and that had a devastating impact on so many people, on young people, on Indigenous communities, on francophones and the only ones fighting for you who said we need to save this university were New Democrats," he added.

Singh says the provincial and the federal NDP were the only politicians who said more needs to be done to save the university.

Sudbury has had a long history of voting Liberal, since the riding was created, but it has previously sent two NDP members of parliament to Ottawa.

The British Columbia based politician was also asked how he counters the position of some voters that the city would lose its spot at the table if it were to vote for a party in the Opposition.

"I'd say to folks what has that seat at the table gotten you," he said. "One of the biggest crisis' that has hit Sudbury and Nickel Belt was losing Laurentian University and all those programs and the impact on young people and Indigenous people, on the staff, the team and the future for your kids. Where were your Liberal members of parliament? What did that seat at the table do?"

Singh says when they sent letters in April to save the university, Sudbury and northerners should be asking themselves did the city's Liberal representation do anything to save the school.

"I think people are better off when they have a strong and passionate voice of someone whose going to fight for you, stand up for you and raise the concerns. You will get more out of it. And in this pandemic we can say the Liberals were in power but they wanted to do the minimum and that would have hurt the people of Sudbury and the people of Nickel Belt," said Singh.

On the Indigenous file when it comes to voting for NDP representation, Singh told another local reporter that he believes his party will be able to best serve many of the First Nation communities in the region.

"Indigenous people, we want you to know that we don't accept the excused that Mr. Trudeau has said, 'oh it's too hard to to get clean drinking water,' I don't buy that," he said.

"If there was a clean drinking water problem in any major Canadian city, it would have been solved right away, I don't buy the excuses, I don't buy that other parties have wanted to make this a priority, I want you to know New Democrats care deeply and that we're going to fight with everything we have," said Singh.

Singh wrapped up his Sudbury visit with a stop to talk to people at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 76 in the city's Minnow Lake community.

After Sudbury, he's off to campaign in Thunder Bay and Sioux Lookout.