Our region is being ignored again.
That is the message I have been receiving as I visited communities throughout our riding. This week I have been in Thompson, Nelson House, Tadoule Lake, Brochet and Lac Brochet.
What is clear is the fact that the new federal budget is disconnected from the reality of many of the communities in our region. Take housing, for instance. The federal budget focuses on initiatives like people being able take more out of their RRSPs to buy their first house. In our region, many people don’t have RRSPs to begin with, especially people looking for their first home.
There is a housing crisis in our region. Several communities in our region already have long waiting lists that keep growing. People are living in overcrowded, mould-contaminated housing.
The budget does virtually nothing to deal with the housing crisis. What we need in our region is real investments in housing to reduce waiting lists and get people out of overcrowded housing.
When I return to Parliament next week, my message is going to be clear. In 2019, there are simply no excuses for the housing crisis that we face in many of the communities in our region.
It’s time for action.
