NDP & Liberals Hold Virtual Town Halls To Address Issues Facing The Black Community

As Black voter turnout begin to rise, their voices carry more weight when advocating for more support from their elected officials.

As Canada starts to look more like it is heading towards a fall election, political parties are making a significant effort to connect with members of the Black Community. In the past, a national coordinated effort to reach members of this community were nominal. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and the rise in voter participation, politicians from the federal and provincial level understand they now need the support of the Black community if they want to play a role in government.

On Tuesday, May 18th, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and MP Matthew Green for Hamilton Centre held a virtual town hall hosted by The Network for the Advancement of Black Communities. In the town hall, Singh acknowledged the increased funding in the 2021 budget for Black-led initiatives is a step in the right direction by the Trudeau Administration but indicated it still does not go far enough.

” The NDP has a written strategy to look at all systems in government and systematically fix them to prevent anti-racist actions against the Black community.” Said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh

He further indicated that the Black community has been taken advantage of for too long and that the government needs to make real changes to improve the lives of the Black community and stop with the symbolic jesters.

Today another virtual town hall meeting will be held with members of Manitoba’s Black Community, but this time by Liberal MP Greg Fergus who represents the riding of Hull Aylmer in Gatineau Quebec. MP Fergus also serves as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, to the President of the Treasury Board and to the Minister of Digital Government.

MP Fergus is also tasked with keeping the Canadian Prime Minister up to speed on all issues pertaining to the Black Community. This role is of great significance, seeing as there is only one member of the Black Community serving in the Prime Minister’s inner circle.

As talks of a fall election begin to pick up steam, the Black Community remains optimistic they will have at least one more member elevated to a cabinet position, should the Liberals remain in the role of government.

More great reading