BC FORUM News - From The Advocate, Autumn, 2019

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Who will stand up for you?

By Laird Cronk

Chair, BC FORUM; President, BC Federation of Labour

Federal election day is Monday, October 21st. This is an incredibly important election for our country and for working people. There is so much we must accomplish together so that every Canadian can fully participate in our vibrant communities.

Over the past couple of years both within and around Canada, we have seen a disturbing rise in words and actions that promote hatred and division. We must not elect leaders who will engage in these behaviours or ignore them. Canada needs leadership that will stand up for all of our rights.

Housing and affordability remain top of mind as young people are struggling to get by. We need a national pharmacare plan and dental coverage so that no one needs to choose between putting food on the table and buying medication.

Canadians deserve to retire with dignity and security through the assurance of a strong Canada Pension Plan.

We must take bold action to address the climate emergency and its impact on individuals, our communities and our economy. This can and must be done while ensuring that workers have good, family and community supporting jobs.

Finally, with precarious work on the rise, we must do more to protect workers through robust employment standards and labour laws. Every job should be a good job.

BC Fed Secretary-Treasurer Sussanne Skidmore and I believe there is only one party that will deliver on these commitments and that is Canada’s NDP. Jagmeet Singh has shown his ability to connect with voters, build bridges across communities and develop an inspiring platform that offers hope and optimism for a Canada we can all be proud of. The Liberals have broken too many promises to Canadians and we cannot risk returning to a conservative government led by Andrew Sheer and his friends Doug Ford and Jason Kenney.

I encourage all members of BC FORUM and the BC Federation of Labour to not only get out to vote, but also to get involved in this election. There are many ways that you can help – vote in the advance polls, talk to your friends about the issues and voting, make a donation to the national party, volunteer for your local candidate, or do all of it!

I cannot stress enough the urgency for us to elect an NDP government that will stand on the side of workers and lead our country with unity, respect and fairness.