From the Hill: 2024 in Review
By Dick Cannings MP
As 2024 draws to a close, I want to reflect on the past year and celebrate the significant achievements made in Ottawa this year in improving the lives of Canadians. As many Canadians struggle with finding homes and affording to buy groceries, my NDP colleagues and I have been focussed on helping those who truly need that help the most.
In 2024 we continued to expand access to dental care and as a result over a million Canadians were able to go to the dentist, many for the first time in years. Through preliminary pharmacare legislation, Canadians now have access to free diabetes medications and devices, literally saving the lives of hundreds of young Canadians who die needlessly every year in our country. We also made free birth control a reality, a vital step in ensuring accessible reproductive health care for everyone.
Our fight for affordability brought temporary GST relief, and we continue to push for changes that would permanently remove the GST from essentials such as home heating and children’s clothing. After years of work we finally have anti-scab legislation to protect workers in federal sectors across the country, something that workers in BC have had for decades. And we delivered significant tax breaks for volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers who give so much to their communities.
We’ve secured a national childcare program that prioritizes public and non-profit providers. This ensures families have access to quality care at prices they can afford. Meanwhile, our advocacy for a national school food program means hungry kids across the country will get the nutrition they need to learn and thrive.
In health care, we’ve made progress holding the government to its promised 5% increase to Canada Health Transfer to provinces. We also secured an $8.3 billion investment in Indigenous housing, addressing critical gaps in services and infrastructure. Our commitment to renters saw us launch a rental protection fund to keep affordable housing in the hands of Canadians, not corporate landlords. During this cost-of-living crisis, we delivered a $500 housing benefit to help families stay afloat.
Our work didn’t stop there. We held oil and gas billionaires accountable, forcing them to face scrutiny for their environmental impact and pushing them to pay their fair share in taxes. Big Telecom CEOs were also brought to the table to answer for Canada’s exorbitant internet and cell phone costs. We’ve championed accountability across sectors to ensure that Canadians’ needs come first.
These achievements are proof of what a government can accomplish when we focus on the difficulties faced by everyday people. But let’s be clear: these wins came despite a Liberal government more focused on itself and internal drama than on Canadians. Justin Trudeau has failed in the biggest job a Prime Minister has–working for people, not the powerful. He can’t fix health care, build affordable homes, or lower your bills. And while we fought to secure dental care, free birth control, school lunch programs, and diabetes medication, Trudeau resisted every step of the way and the Conservatives voted against it all.
It’s time for a change. Canadians deserve a government that works for them, not for billionaires and CEOs. That’s why the NDP will bring forward a motion of non-confidence when Parliament returns. This government’s time is up, and no matter who leads the Liberal Party, they don’t deserve another chance. Trudeau can shuffle his cabinet, but he will keep disappointing us.
The work ahead won’t be easy. Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives are waiting in the wings with plans to cut health care, housing funding, and pensions, all while giving handouts to their CEO friends. We cannot let them undo the progress we’ve made. We can’t go back to the years of silencing scientists and gutting the services we rely upon.
Imagine a Canada where a good job gets you a home, a fridge full of groceries, and the chance to save for your future. A Canada where health care is there for you, free and accessible, when you need it.
So this holiday season, as we gather with loved ones and look ahead to the New Year, let’s remember what we’ve achieved together and recommit to building a fairer, greener, more prosperous country—a Canada that works for everyone.
From my family to yours, happy holidays and a hopeful, prosperous New Year.
Richard Cannings,
MP, South Okanagan – West Kootenay
