WINNIPEG – POLITICS 2.0 – Amid growing concerns about United States President Donald Trump and his protectionist trade policies, federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has laid out a comprehensive plan aimed at insulating Canadian workers and families from the fallout of a renewed trade war.
Standing before union members and local workers in Winnipeg, Singh promised to “fight like hell” to protect jobs, health care, and economic stability for middle-class Canadians, while directly calling out the damage already caused by Trump-era tariffs.
“Trump’s tariffs are an attack on Canadian workers and middle-class families,” Singh said. “We won’t let him or anyone else force you to pay for their greed.”
A Locally-Relevant Fight: How Thunder Bay Stands to Gain
With Thunder Bay’s economy heavily tied to manufacturing, natural resources, and public infrastructure, Singh’s plan hits home. Sectors like steel and construction—central to the region’s workforce—were among the hardest hit by U.S. tariffs in the previous administration. Singh’s proposal to use Canadian materials in infrastructure projects and protect domestic industry could bring welcome stability and growth to Northwestern Ontario.
1. Strengthening the Safety Net: Employment Insurance Overhaul
Singh proposes sweeping reforms to Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) system, including:
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Raising the maximum insurable earnings and benefit rates above 55%
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Lowering qualification thresholds to a universal 360 hours
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Expanding eligibility to self-employed and contract workers
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Removing the one-week waiting period and extending coverage to 50 weeks
These changes would ensure more equitable access to EI for workers in seasonal industries—an important factor in Northern Ontario’s employment landscape.
2. Protecting Jobs with Strategic Investment
Singh’s plan emphasizes large-scale, shovel-ready infrastructure projects using Canadian materials, including:
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New roads, bridges, transit, and health care facilities
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An East-West clean energy grid using Canadian products
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Job-saving interventions for homebuilding projects impacted by tariffs
For Thunder Bay, with its ongoing infrastructure needs and green energy potential, this approach could translate to hundreds of new jobs and long-term investment.
3. Ensuring Families Don’t Bear the Cost
To shield families from tariff-driven inflation, Singh pledges to:
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Reinvest every dollar from retaliatory tariffs into impacted sectors like auto and steel
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Remove GST from Canadian-made vehicles and home heating
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Cap essential grocery prices and target corporate price gouging
This could significantly benefit working families in the North dealing with higher food and heating costs due to geography and supply constraints.
4. Standing Up to Corporate Greed
The NDP also proposes hardline measures against American corporations profiting off Canadian subsidies:
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Banning U.S. firms from federal contracts unless tariffs are lifted
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Blocking asset-stripping by foreign-owned companies post-bailout
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Boosting domestic value-added processing to reduce raw exports
These protections could help preserve industrial jobs in areas like Thunder Bay where mill closures and plant buyouts have hollowed out local economies.
5. Defending Public Services
Singh’s plan pushes back on the privatization of public services:
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Ban private health care and U.S.-style clinics
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Expand Medicare to include pharmacare, dental, and mental health
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Resist cuts to services that support working families
Given Thunder Bay’s significant public-sector workforce and health care infrastructure, the protection of these services is particularly relevant.
6. A New “No-Trade” Clause to Defend Sovereignty
Finally, Singh calls for a “No-Trade” clause in future agreements to:
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Protect sectors like public hydro, critical minerals, and media from foreign takeover
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Guarantee that Treaty rights, the French language, environmental standards, and labour rights aren’t negotiable
This resonates with many in Northwestern Ontario, where Indigenous sovereignty, energy independence, and media representation are crucial local issues.
“We will build a Canada that puts working and middle-class people first,” Singh said in conclusion.
