NDP leader Thomas Mulcair became the first of the federal party leaders to host a Facebook question and answer period for voters in both English and French.
Mulcair went to Facebook headquarters in Toronto to answer questions voters have been burning to ask him. Many Canadians asked economy-related questions, but topics also ranged from childcare to women’s rights.
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Mulcair said he plans on giving tax breaks to small and medium sized businesses while giving tax credits for manufacturing and innovation in an attempt to stimulate the economy.
He also said he wants to launch an inquiry into the multitudes of missing and murdered aboriginal women within the first 100 days of forming a new government.
“The tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada has been ignored for far too long. It is a Canadian tragedy. The families who have lost mothers, daughters, sisters and aunties deserve justice and closure,” he said.
Recently, a debate on women’s issues was cancelled because both Mulcair and the Conservative’s Stephen Harper pulled out – since Mulcair previously stated he would not participate in any debate that Harper pulls out from. In the Q&A he responded to criticism from a voter who asked whether or not he cares about women by saying he’ll participate in an interview on women’s rights.
“I’m very excited to be participating in the ‘Up For Debate’ interviews that are now being scheduled,” Mulcair said.
“I’m so proud of the work the NDP has done on issues that affect women, like violence against women, equal pay and childcare, and the fact that we have a record number of fantastic women candidates this election.”
Jackie Hansen with “Up For Debate” was previously critical of any party leader who would pull out of a debate on women’s rights.
“We are more than half of the electorate, there are issues that impact women and men and people of different genders and we need to be having those discussions, so it’s very disappointing to us that both the Conservatives and the NDP are not up for debating these issues in a nationally broadcasted debate,” she told Vancity Buzz.
Mulcair said the NDP also plans on repealing Bill C-51 and instituting childcare that costs only $15 per day.
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