Supporting, Protecting, and Respecting Canadas North

Fighter. Builder. Leader.

Fighter. Builder. Leader.

Peggy Nash Campaign for the Leadership of the New Democratic Party

At Issue
Natural resource industries are integral to the economy of Canadas Northern communities. However, our mining, forestry, and other industries in the North are facing severe challenges. Many of Canadas important natural resource companies have been taken over by foreign investors whose actions indicate a lack of respect for workers rights. Plant closures and massive layoffs in the region have had a ripple effect on small businesses. Youth are leaving Northern communities to find work elsewhere, while Aboriginal peoples face significant barriers to education and housing. As the cost of living in the North rises steadily, wages have stagnated. Meanwhile, too few communities in the North have adequate health resources. A severe shortage of family doctors and increasingly long wait times at medical facilities are leaving families in dire straits. Crisis after crisis has been ignored by successive Liberal and Conservative governments. We can do better. It is possible to build a strong economy while protecting the environment and supporting all Canadians with smart social policy. Doing so with an eye to the North is crucial. Northerners deserve no less.

peggynash.ca

Fighter. Builder. Leader.

Peggy Nash Campaign for the Leadership of the New Democratic Party

In Context
Jobs and the Economy in the North The importance of the natural resource industry for the livelihood of our Northern communities cannot be ignored, yet the Harper Conservatives have allowed poorlyregulated foreign takeovers and tax cuts for large corporations to negatively affect Northerners. They have let the forestry sector be worn down by a lack of a comprehensive forestry strategy and have chosen not to properly invest in innovative clean and renewable energy in the North. These missteps hurt local economies and in turn affect small businesses and lead to youth outmigration. Many foreign takeovers of Canadian companies have led to significant job losses while a lack of respect for hard-won collective bargaining rights throw workers into further trouble. For example, hundreds of Northern jobs were lost when Swiss mining giant Xstrata bought Falconbridge Ltd. It slashed 686 jobs from its Greater Sudbury operation and shut down the Kidd Creek Metallurgical site, costing Timmins 670 jobs. When Brazilian mining company Vale purchased Inco Ltd, it introduced a plan to shut down the smelter in the city of Thompson, costing 600 jobs. The same company then forced thousands of Canadian workers into a yearlong strike (18 months in Voiseys Bay) to protect their pensions and the rights of future workers, having a negative impact on the economy of many communities. The Investment Canada Act should ensure Canadians benefit from foreign ownership, yet the Harper Conservatives continue to hide behind the smoke screen created by the Acts rigid confidentiality provisions and refuse to enforce the Act in defense of Canadian jobs and communities. Meanwhile, sixty thousand jobs have been lost in the forestry sector alone. Closure after closure of pulp and paper mills in the North have thrown communities like Kitimat, Jonquire, and Dubreuilville into peril. Workers recently laid off from the Terrace Bay Pulp and Paper mill represent jobs that are no longer contributing to the local economy. And now, the Harper Conservatives have cut back on the Forest Sector Initiative, an initiative with the goal of creating sustainable natural resources development and enhancing long-term economic opportunities for Canadas forest sector. Instead of cuts to research and development, Canada needs a national forestry strategy to protect value-added jobs in Northern communities.

peggynash.ca

Fighter. Builder. Leader.

Peggy Nash Campaign for the Leadership of the New Democratic Party

A troubling result of these Northern job losses is the outmigration of too many young people heading south for work. A decisive action plan is needed to keep jobs in the North for current and future generations of Northern families. In order for Northern communities to be sustainable, we need to invest in renewable energy and other emerging fields to create new jobs, lower the burden on families, create clean energy, and keep Northern youth at home. Access to Water, Education, and Housing for Aboriginal communities Challenges related to housing, health, and education are deeply connected to the exploitation of traditional Aboriginal lands and territories across the North. While these areas are being mined to the financial benefit of some, Aboriginal peoples live with the consequences of ecological damage such as contaminated water and pollutants in their soil. Canada has a responsibility to uphold our obligations to ensure every person has access to clean water, safe housing, and quality education wherever s/he lives. To prevent crises such as what communities like Attawapiskat, Kashechewan, and Fort Albany currently face to name just a few Canada needs a national housing strategy and a comprehensive clean water act with provisions that hold government accountable. We must also live up to Shannens dream and make high quality education accessible to Northerners, including traditional ways of knowledge available in safe spaces. Relieving the Burden on Families and Helping the Environment With the ever-increasing price of electricity, gas, oil, housing and rent, Canada must tackle the rising cost of living in the North. By introducing the HST and playing politics with the popular ecoENERGY retrofit program, the Harper Conservatives raise the cost of heating homes in the North. With non-taxable grants to homeowners and owners of rental properties who carry out renovations to improve the energy efficiency of their existing home or property, the ecoENERGY program is far too important to cancel, revive, then kill again in the upcoming budget. Not only does it save costs to consumers, it helps contribute to a collective effort to increase energy efficiency. Saving Rail in the North Viable and environmentally-sustainable transportation options are desperately needed in the North. Rapidly dwindling passenger rail options and shredding infrastructure leave Northern communities at a disadvantage. As one example, Northeastern Ontario will soon have no direct rail route to the Ottawa Valley, forcing trains to route through Southern Ontario and cutting off countless communities. 4

peggynash.ca

Fighter. Builder. Leader.

Peggy Nash Campaign for the Leadership of the New Democratic Party

Why, at a time when other countries are investing in high speed rail, is Canada dismantling rail lines? Plans for sustainable and long-term passenger rail and investments in infrastructure are urgently needed. By advancing rail, we not only connect communities, we promote regional tourism and reduce carbon emission. Improving the Health of Northerners A shortage of health care professionals in the North from family doctors to nurse practitioners, from midwives to specialists means Northern communities lack the resources to properly fulfill their residents health care needs. The federal government must work with the provinces/territories to provide the appropriate funds for the hiring of more health care professionals and the creation of new training spaces. As funds increase, incentives must be offered to doctors to remain in the North, i.e. forgiving student loan debt for individuals who commit to practicing in the North for a minimum of ten years. Also, as Northern populations age, we must ensure sufficient funding exists for long-term care facilities and for independent living.

peggynash.ca

Fighter. Builder. Leader.

Peggy Nash Campaign for the Leadership of the New Democratic Party

The Peggy Nash Plan

Under my leadership, the NDP and the next federal government will: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Invest in infrastructure to extend broadband internet access to remote communities; Support the natural resource sector by strengthening the Investment Canada Act to ensure foreign investments deliver quality jobs and protect communities; Establish a national forestry strategy; Provide a tax credit for small businesses ($5000) to hire new employees to encourage job creation in the North; Double funding to FedNor from fifty million to one hundred million to ensure proper investment in projects that support community economic development, business growth/competitiveness, and innovation; Reverse the Harper Conservatives cuts to the ecoEnergy retrofit program and to Canadas Forestry Sector Initiative; Invest in green initiatives that create new jobs and protect the environment; Implement a Canada Clean Water Act; Implement a national Aboriginal housing and infrastructure strategy in collaboration with First Nations communities;

6. 7. 8. 9.

10. Ensure accessible, high-quality education for all Aboriginal people, including safe learning environments respectful of traditional ways of knowledge; 11. Work with provinces/territories to help increase Northerners access to quality health care options and reasonable wait times; 12. Provide job retraining opportunities through the Employment Insurance program to Northerners who have lost employment and wish to work in emerging fields. 6

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