NDP's Singh vows to eliminate for-profit care homes, forgive student loans in Hamilton election visit

Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh visited Hamilton on Tuesday to support local NDP candidate Malcolm Allen, who is running in a riding poised to see a new MP.

Singh's visit the second federal party leader to stop in Hamilton Tuesday was brief but gave exposure to Allen, who is runningfor the first time in Hamiltonafter a previousseven-year run as a NiagaraCentre MP.

"It's always important to have a leader come and visit,"Allen said in a phone interview following theevent."Ittells folks in the riding the leader has a lot of confidence in the local candidates."

The Mountain riding spans from Rymal Road to the edge of the escarpment and, if this year's race follows 2019numbers,is set to see the Liberals and NDP square off.The parties were some 3,000 votes apart in 2019.

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Scott Duvall, a former steelworker and theNDP MP forHamilton Mountain, isn't running again, leaving the seat open for someone else.

Allen, theNiagara Centre MP until 2015, is up against CHCH reporter Lisa Hepfner, who is running for the Liberals. Al Miles, who ran inthe riding in 2015, is once again representing the Conservatives and the Green Party hasn't listed a candidate online.

No formal announcements were made during the campaign stop, but the visit drew NDP supporters such asEric Tuck, Local 107 president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, and Ron Wells, Local 1005 president of the United Steelworkers.

Singh, joined by Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and all five of Hamilton's NDP candidates, told the crowd he wanted the rich to pay their fair share and wanted to eliminate for-profit care homes.

He also spoke directly to those in attendance after a short speech.

"We're going to forgive student loans and eventually our goal is to work with the provinces to deliver barrier-free education from kindergarten to post-secondary," he said to one person in the crowd.

Allen said attendees shared anecdotesabout how COVID-19 hasdevastated long-term care homes and how people being unable to afford homes. Those stories stood out to him, he said.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau's visit Tuesdaymorning drew the support of local Liberal candidates andannouncednew ways he would support home ownership.