About Jagmeet

46 years old

Hometown: Scarborough, Ontario

Jagmeet Singh was born in Scarborough but spent part of his childhood in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, before moving with his family to Windsor, Ontario. He earned a biology degree from the University of Western Ontario and studied law at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School. Jagmeet worked as a criminal defence lawyer in a firm alongside his brother before being elected as a Member of Provincial Parliament in the Brampton area in 2011. Four years later he became deputy leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party. In 2017, he moved to federal politics and was elected leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. Jagmeet is fluent in four languages: English, French, Hindi, and Punjabi.

The NDP plans to build 3 million new homes by 2030. To achieve this goal, the NDP would spend $1 billion over five years to buy more land to build homes. They would speed up the approval process on government land so building can start faster, and create a Community Housing Bank. This is a special kind of bank that helps people and groups build homes–not to make money, but to support communities. It would give loans and funding to non-profit groups, housing co-ops and Indigenous communities.^[1][2]

The government says it would use land it already owns to help build over 100,000 rent-controlled homes by 2035. These homes will have lower, more stable rent prices, so more people can afford a safe place to live.^[1][3]

If elected, an NDP government would bring in full public pharmacare within four years. This means the government would cover the cost of prescription drugs. They would start by making the most common prescription drugs free, including birth control (contraceptives).^[13][14]

To help all Canadians get a family doctor, the NDP plans to hire more doctors, including those who were trained in other countries and already live in Canada. They will make it easier for doctors and nurses to work in different parts of the country, especially where they are most needed. The NDP wants to train more doctors from northern and rural communities, reduce paperwork so doctors can spend more time with patients, and build housing and clinics in the North to help healthcare teams stay and work there. They will also provide additional money to provinces who meet their goals.^[15][16]

If elected, an NDP government would create a Workers for Canada plan to help the economy recover. This plan includes building more affordable housing, creating a new energy system that connects the country from East to West, and making Employment Insurance (EI) easier to get for workers who lose their jobs.^[20][21]

They will invest in more social and community housing to support economic recovery.^[22][23]

To fight climate change, the NDP says they will keep the carbon tax for big industries and limit or cap how much pollution companies can create. They plan to stop giving $18 billion of payments to oil and gas companies and will add a tax on goods from countries that don’t have carbon pricing.^[25][26]

The NDP will also bring back the $5 000 cash rebate for Canadians who buy electric vehicles and will double the rebate if the vehicle is made in Canada.^[25][27]

No specific policy has been suggested in the party's current platform.

An NDP government would invest in defence through their ‘Protecting our Protectors, Defending the North Plan’. This plan includes more funding, training, and equipment for members of the Canadian Armed Forces. It would also make housing, healthcare, and childcare more affordable for veterans and their families.^[30][31]

The plan focuses on protecting the North by investing in northern communities and setting up new marine search and rescue stations in the Arctic.^[30][31]

The NDP has said they will hire more border guards to stop the number of illegal guns from entering Canada.^[29][26]

To prevent tax evasion, they would end special tax deals with places known as offshore tax havens, like Bermuda, where some people and companies hide their money to avoid paying taxes. Companies would have to explain why they are using accounts in other countries. The NDP would also make big international companies share more information about where they earn money and pay taxes, so they can’t hide their profits.^[29][26]

If elected, the NDP would respond to threats to Canada with their "Build Canadian Buy Canadian Plan." This plan supports Canadian companies that have unions and helps reduce Canada’s reliance on American products. It would also raise certain taxes (retaliatory tariffs) on U.S. goods to help Canadian workers affected by the trade war.^[32][33]

The NDP also says they would work with other countries to deal with national security threats, such as foreign interference, spying, and cybercrime.^[34][35]

The NDP says they would officially follow the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which is a guide that countries can follow to show respect and support for Indigenous peoples and work toward reconciliation.^[36]

They also promise to carry out the important recommendations from the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which were created to help stop violence and make sure Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people are protected and treated fairly.^[37]

No specific policy has been suggested in the party's current platform.

In the past, the NDP have said that they would look into exploring different electoral systems to potentially replace the existing first-past-the-post voting system.^[37][38]