Article content

HAMILTON — Signalling a determination not to be outflanked on the left yet again, the federal NDP has unveiled its platform months ahead of the fall election, including commitments to dramatically expand health care and to impose a tax on the very wealthy, with a plan to run deficits for the foreseeable future.

In a speech delivered to a room full of supporters during an Ontario NDP policy convention in Hamilton on Sunday morning, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Canadians must have the “courage to dream.”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or NDP eyes sweeping healthcare coverage and universal pharmacare for 2019 federal election Back to video

“People had such high hopes when they elected the Trudeau Liberals,” Singh said. “What they got was a government that can pull off a great symbolic gesture, but it’s not there for people when it counts.”

The party released a 109-page platform on Sunday, titled “A New Deal for People” (note the acronym, Singh said), an unusual move with several months still to go before the fall election. Speaking to reporters after his speech, flanked by a number of NDP candidates and a few sitting MPs, Singh said he wanted to get people talking about his party’s vision. “We want Canadians to know what we stand for well in advance of the election, so we can talk about this over the summer,” he said.