Jagmeet Singh calls for more food, housing support from federal gov't during Iqaluit visit

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says the Liberal government isn't doing enough to address cost of living challenges in Nunavut.

He made the comments on Friday in Iqaluit after meeting with Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok and other MLAs.

He will also be attending current NDP MP Lori Idlout's expected re-nomination ceremony Saturday evening.

The NDP are calling for immediate transfer of $500 million to support the Nunavut 3000 strategy, which aims to build 3,000 housing units by 2030.

They are also looking for the Liberal government to provide more funding for community housing providers.

In the latest budget, the government committed $4 billion over seven years to implement an urban, rural and northern Indigenous housing strategy. Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal has saidthat a "carve out" of that funding would be dedicated to the territories.

Kyle Allen, spokesperson for Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, said the federal government has made "record investments" toward closing the housing and infrastructure gap in the territory.

Nutrition North reform

Along with housing, Singh was focused on addressing the high cost of food in the North.

He wants to see an excess profit tax on big grocery stores and reforms made to theNutrition North program.

"We shouldn't put the savings in the pockets of the already highly profitable grocery stores," he said. "The savings should go to the families, the people who need it."

Nunavut's food insecurity rate is 57 per cent, compared to 12.7 per cent nationally, according to Food Banks Canada.

"We've bolstered the Nutrition North program and increased the number of Northern and remote communities eligible for the rebate that helps bring the price of groceries and other basic necessities down," said Allen.

He added the federal government also helped develop the Harvesters Support Grant to incentivize residents to practice traditional harvesting.