Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh spoke to a packed room at the Coast Bastion Hotel in Nanaimo on Thursday Sept. 26. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

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NANAIMO — Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh concluded a whirlwind day on Thursday Sept. 26 with a town hall meeting in Nanaimo.

Joined by Nanaimo-Ladysmith candidate Bob Chamberlin, Singh spoke passionately about his party’s platform, specifically on issues relating to affordable housing, universal pharmacare and the policing of money laundering.

Earlier in the day during a stop in Campbell River, Singh reaffirmed his commitment to build 500,000 new affordable houses should the NDP form government.

That pledge was backed up with more immediate help with Singh committing up to $2.5 billion in rental subsidies for low income families.

“We have to build half a million new homes, but we know that people need help now and it’s going to take time to build those affordable homes. So we’re announcing a plan to help out 500,000 families with a rental subsidy up to $5000 to help them pay for their rent.”

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Later in the day during a meeting in Courtenay, Singh spoke on healthcare reform and the NDP’s strategy to adopt universal pharmacare.

“There’s millions of Canadians that can’t afford medications that are life saving, treat an illness and people end up getting more and more sick and going to the hospital. That’s $1500 a day for a hospital bed, just because they couldn’t afford a $5 a day pill.”

Singh also pledged to include government funded dental care for around 4.3 million Canadians who earn $75,000 or less and don’t have existing dental coverage. Singh costed the plan at $865 million.

During his final stop in Nanaimo, Singh doubled down on his promises from earlier in the day, while also speaking on a housing market that is becoming more expensive.

Singh pledged an NDP government would create a federal foreign buyers tax, similar to one introduced in BC in 2016.

Singh also spoke on a growing money laundering problem in the province, and promised funding to help combat.

“At the federal level, there’s a money laundering department that has no-one doing it or doing anything on money laundering. We are going to fund a specific anti-money laundering department with the RCMP, with half of the funding going to BC.”

The federal NDP leader’s tour of Vancouver Island continues Friday Sept. 27 with stops in Ladysmith, Duncan and Victoria.

alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley