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Jagmeet Singh coming to Vancouver Island to discuss supply management and more

Federal NDP leader will attend town halls in Cobble Hill and Langford on Nov. 13
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Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh will be in Cobble Hill on Nov. 13 to talk supply management. Pictured is Singh, left, during a recent to visit to the Cowichan campus of Vancouver Island University. (File photo)

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh will participate in a town hall meeting in Cobble Hill on Nov. 13 to talk about the importance of protecting local food and Canada’s supply management system.

The meeting will be hosted by Alistair MacGregor, NDP MP for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford.

“As the federal agriculture and agri-food critic for the NDP, and as a strong supporter of supply management, I am thrilled to have Jagmeet Singh participate in this important meeting during the NDP’s National Week of Action on Supply Management,” MacGregor said.

“Most Canadians prefer locally supplied, high-quality farm products and our supply management system allows our farmers to weather the storm of brutal price shocks.”

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MacGregor said the Liberals have now given up 10 per cent of Canada’s market, putting Canadian producers under significant pressure and leaving Canadians worried about the quality and safety of products that will cross over the national border.

Singh added that the protection of local food and local farming is extremely important to Canadians’ food security.

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“Canada’s supply management system has allowed a diversity of small family farms to survive, thrive, and produce high-quality Canadian products, something we should all celebrate,” he said.

MacGregor said he is inviting constituents to participate in this town hall with local farmers and Singh to talk about protecting local food and Canada’s supply managed agricultural system in relation to the impact of trade deals currently being debated in Parliament.

He said there will be representatives from each farming sector impacted by issues around the supply management system at the town hall.

“The town hall is part of the NDP’s Week of Action, and many of our offices across the country will be holding similar events and meetings,” he said.

The town hall will be held at the Cobble Hill Hall, 3550 Watson Ave., beginning at 6 p.m.

Earlier that smae day Singh and MacGregor are also making a stop in Langford, where they will be serving up an opportunity for the public to weigh in what they would like to see discussed in parliament.

The pair will take part in a private tour of Belmont Secondary and speak to students before hosting a public meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 13 from 4 to 5 p.m. in the school’s Learning Commons. They will address federal government policies and seek input from those in attendance regarding what they should focus on in Parliament.

“I look forward to an energetic discussion with Jagmeet about the issues that matter,” MacGregor said. “We’ll be discussing health care, housing, child care and the environment, important topics that Canadians really care about.”

Singh said in a media release that he is excited to hear from the people of Langford to discuss the solutions they urgently need. “We’re determined to make a difference in the lives of Canadians who are facing increases in costs and fewer opportunities.”

—with a file from Rick Stiebel



robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com

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Robert Barron

About the Author: Robert Barron

Since 2016, I've had had the pleasure of working with our dedicated staff and community in the Cowichan Valley.
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