NDP, standing up for healthcare workers

Lucas Gillies is standing for the NDP in Simcoe-Grey during this federal election.
As a paramedic, Gillies said his main motivator for running is to stand up for health care workers.
“Right now, you have people protesting outside of hospitals,” he said. “A lot of politicians are dragging their heels when it comes to the vaccine passport and the NDP have been very [clear] that the vaccine passport is a way to move forward. We want to support it to support health care workers and make their job easier. It’s something that a lot of people aren’t taking into account. They don’t really seem to care about the health care system and the fact that it’s overwhelmed.”
He supports the fight for universal health care including prescriptions, dental care and mental health services, and safeguard the health care system against privatization.
“When people get the medication they need, they don’t need emergency care down the road,” said Gillies. “It would save us money over time.”
Paramedics have seen a rise in addiction and overdose deaths due to the pandemic. Gillies said one of the main reasons he got involved with the NDP is due to his support for the decriminalization of drug addiction and the treatment of addiction as a health issue and not a crime.
“When you change the stigma on addiction people are more likely to seek out help, if they’re not criminalized,” said Gillies.
To pay off the debt and balance the budget, the NDP are proposing a wealth tax on more than $10 million – making sure that the ultra-rich pay their fair share (those with $11 million would be taxed $10,000 per year). New Democrats also propose a temporary COVID-19 excess profit tax that puts an additional 15 per cent tax on large corporate windfall profits during the pandemic and go after large corporations that took publicly-funded COVID-19 wage subsidies and turned around and paid out bonuses and dividends.
“We can’t tax the middle class anymore obviously, they have been squeezed,” said Gillies.
In the polls, Jagmeet Singh comes out as the most likeable of all the leaders.
“Unfortunately that doesn’t always translate into votes because people have a preconceived notion of the New Democratic Party from years past. A lot of people like to talk about Bob Rae. I would like to remind everyone that he was the Premier 30 years ago,” said Gillies. “A lot of young people are excited about Jagmeet Singh and he has definitely built momentum because he has been an incredible advocate for First Nations people, the environment, and making sure the ultra-rich pay their fair share.”
He said Singh has inspired and mobilized a young following that is ready to stand up for the environment, and the party has a bold climate plan that includes a target of reducing Canada’s emissions by at least 50 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030, and reaching net-zero by 2050.
Gillies said it is important to remember that it was Singh who fought to have CERB increased from $1,000 per month first proposed by the Liberals to $2,000 per month, because that is the bare minimum needed to survive these days. The NDP also support a guaranteed livable income for all Canadians.
“We believe that everyday ordinary people deserve to be represented by everyday ordinary people so that’s really why I am doing this, because I really am just a working class person. The NDP has and always will be the party of the working class,” said Gillies.