In her speech at the 2015 Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada annual congress, Hélène LeBlanc, MP for LaSalle–Émard and NDP Co-operatives Critic, stated that the New Democratic Party (NDP) are committed to the Canadian co-operative sector if they win the upcoming election.
Ms. LeBlanc recognized the significant impact of co-operatives on the Canadian economy and their potential to meet our growing needs while and creating stable, high-quality jobs. New Democrats, she said, “believe the federal government must support co-operatives by contributing financially to their development.”
“Co-operatives play a vital role in building a more prosperous and fairer Canada. An NDP government will support a federal fund to support the establishment of new co-operatives, as well as the growth of those that already exist. We will also give credit unions concrete options for accessing capitalization sources” said LeBLanc.
“Co-operatives are part of our DNA” said the NDP co-operative critic, which is a reference to the NDP predecessor, Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). “An NDP government will be an ally of the co-operative movement and will work with the sector to find solutions to their main challenges,” said Ms. LeBlanc.
The acceptance of tax fairness into the NDP platform was a very welcome announcement after a very extensive campaign by Credit Union Central of Canada (CUCC) over the last year where they lobbied hard for tax fairness. CMC supported the “My Credit Union Matters” campaign which did receive some acknowledgment in the 2015 federal budget, but has not yet resulted in a change in government policy toward credit unions.
Having a party pledge support for the Canadian Co-operative Investment Fund (CCIF) is a major step in the future of the Fund. CMC will be campaigning for support in the lead up to the fall election with the goal of having the Fund included in all party platforms. There will also be lobbying in support of a national Co-op Development Strategy.
Lobby sheets (PDFs) are already available to our members or stakeholders to use in public forums or private meetings with candidates. These tools are simple and direct proposals in point form that can maximise our collective influence on candidates as they are seeking our support. We encourage you to engage democratically in your riding and promote co-operative solutions that MPs need to sign on to.