NDP's 'New Deal for B.C.' targets housing affordability and climate change

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party's plan for B.C. will focus on housing affordability and fighting climate change.

Singh announced the "New Deal for B.C." in his home riding in Burnaby, criticizing both the Liberals and Conservatives for neglecting the issues most important to British Columbians.

"When B.C. families asked for help with the out-of-control housing market, Justin Trudeau spent $4.5 billion of their money on a pipeline instead," he said.

"Liberals and Conservatives have failed people here for too long. British Columbians deserve a real partner in Ottawa: a New Democrat government that has the courage to do what's right to make sure that everyone has an affordable place to call home."

Singh said the NDP would create a dedicated RCMP unit to fight money laundering at a cost of $20 million per year, with B.C. as the priority. Money laundering has been identified as a factor in the province's runaway housing market.

He also said the NDP would create a national beneficial ownership registry which would allow officials to know the identities of individuals behind many of the corporations and trusts buying and selling property.

Finally, Singh promised to bring in a 15 per cent national foreign buyer's tax on properties bought by those who aren't Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

The tax would be in addition to the 20 per cent foreign buyers tax that already exists in parts of B.C.