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Leah Gazan Statement on the Public Ownership of Portage Place

I wanted to provide context about a recent article about Starlight and the private development of Portage Place. I would like to clarify that I do not support Starlight or the privatization of Portage Place. Rather, I believe that Portage Place should be publicly owned. 

If agreed, the combined contributions from all levels of government would total approximately 338 million dollars. This is close to 85% of the total projected project costs with the risks offloaded onto the public and 100% of the profits benefiting the private sector. We need to end corporate handouts and ensure that public investments actually benefit the public. 

My frustration is that the Liberal government has a magic wand to provide support for big corporations including the 120 million they recently gifted to Imperial Oil, while our community of Winnipeg Centre continues to fight for the most basic human rights. 

Our community has been very clear about what it wants; investment in affordable, accessible, social housing, a place to buy food and essentials, and a safe place where community members can gather. 

I will continue to advocate for the decommodification of housing stock for the public good of our community, substantial investments in accessible, affordable, social housing, and for the public ownership of community spaces.

Gazan: Basic Income must be in addition to strengthening social safety net, not gut it

TREATY 1 TERRITORY, WINNIPEG—NDP MP Leah Gazan is sounding the alarm on Liberal Member of Parliament Julie Dzerowicz’ private member’s Bill C-273, National Strategy for a Guaranteed Basic Income Act introduced last week, indicating another study is not needed and that the legislation opens the door to replacing our current social safety net, with something that could potentially lead to greater levels of poverty.

Local Liberal and Conservative MPs vote to deny Canadians Universal Pharmacare

This afternoon, Liberal and Conservative MPs voted against the NDP’s Bill C-213, An Act to Enact the Canada Pharmacare Act, which would lay out the path to establishing a universal, single-payer, comprehensive and public pharmacare plan.

NDP call on government to urgently invest in Indigenous housing after damning PBO report

A new report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) has revealed the shocking truth that Indigenous households in Canada are living in a significantly higher rate of unaffordable and unsustainable housing

Prime Minister must acknowledge housing crisis in Winnipeg with action says Gazan

Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg—Today, NDP MP Leah Gazan is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to immediately act to address the housing crisis in Winnipeg. 

Joint Open Letter to Minister Hussen Regarding Winnipeg's Housing Crises

NDP calls for Care Guarantee for our loved ones

WINNIPEG, TREATY 1 TERRITORY – Today, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh held a virtual discussion with Winnipeg MPs, Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona) and Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre), about the devastation people have experienced in long-term care residences. Singh outlined the NDP’s plan to take profits out of long-term care and implement a Care Guarantee for our loved ones in long-term care to ensure they get the care that they deserve. Brianne Goertzen, the Provincial Director of the Manitoba Health Coalition, also joined Singh to talk about the necessity to remove profits out of long-term care.

Winnipeg has greatest Indigenous housing need of all metropolitan cities in Canada, says new PBO report

WINNIPEG, TREATY 1 TERRITORY – NDP MP Leah Gazan is calling for substantial investments into Indigenous housing needs in Winnipeg after a new PBO report released today noted Winnipeg as having the “highest number of Indigenous households in housing need” of all Canadian metropolitan cities. 

Downtown Winnipeg Elected Representatives Joint Statement on Housing

TREATY 1 TERRITORY, WINNIPEG – Elected representatives from downtown Winnipeg are calling for immediate investments in social housing, frontline community based-organizations, and low-barrier safe spaces for the unsheltered and precariously housed communities in our city.

Downtown Winnipeg has been one of the most impacted urban health districts in Manitoba by COVID-19. Meanwhile, many individuals and families are unable to follow public health guidelines and social distancing measures because of a lack of adequate housing options.

Not only are members of the unsheltered community at increased risk of contracting COVID-19, but there have now been four recorded cases of Trench Fever in the city, a disease of extreme poverty. This is unacceptable.

It is critical that we adequately fund community-based organizations that are providing low-barrier spaces and life-sustaining services to the unsheltered community.

All orders of government must act to end this severe public health and human rights crisis.

 

Signed,

 

Leah Gazan, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg Centre

Bernadette Smith, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Point Douglas

Uzoma Asagwara, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Union Station

Malaya Marcelino, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Notre Dame

Lisa Naylor, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Wolseley

Sherri Rollins, City Councillor for Fort Rouge East Fort Garry

Cindy Gilroy, City Councillor for Daniel McIntyre

Vivian Santos, City Councillor for Point Douglas

Let's take profits out of long-term care and implement a Care Guarantee

TREATY 1 TERRITORY, WINNIPEG – The pandemic has shown Canadians the cost of government inaction and neglect in our health care system. Families have lost their loved ones in long-term care centers across the country. Today, NDP MP Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre) is backing the NDP’s plan to take profits out of long-term care and implement a Care Guarantee for our loved ones in long-term care.