Canada has come to a crossroad. Over the past 10 years, the Harper Conservatives have systematically dismantled our public sector, our social programs, our rights and our institutions that were meant to protect Canadian values. Under Tom Mulcair’s leadership, the NDP is offering Canadians a truly progressive choice that will fix the damage brought on by the Conservatives and get Canada back on track.

I am running for my 5th term with the NDP because I want to be part of a government that cares about its people and gives them equal opportunity. No one working full-time should have to accept living below the poverty line. We need a government who will fight for those Canadians.

It’s time for a government that will create a universal, accessible childcare plan in Canada for $15 a day. We cannot continue without a government who is committed to being a stable partner in securing affordable housing and reliable transit. Too many Canadians are struggling to keep their heads above water. We cannot stand idly by as cuts to cooperative housing push our friends out of the city and out of their homes.

More than ever before, we need a government that is committed to economic and environmental innovation. Canadians deserve an honest government that acknowledges the desperate need to renew our economy by eliminating subsidies to the fossil-fuel industry and investing in clean technology and clean energy. We need to build a Canada on sustainable energy and development.

Canadians should not have to tolerate a poorly funded healthcare system. Together we can reinvest in a system that will restore quality care for families and seniors. It’s time to support funding for local hospitals. Dedicated staff, nurses and doctors are the backbone of this system and they deserve better facilities to serve us in. Patient care is being put at risk—and that’s not the Canadian way.

Now is the time to elect a government dedicated to justice – a government that will commission an inquiry into the 1,200 murdered and missing Indigenous women in Canada within the first 100 days.

Under Tom’s leadership the NDP will be the government that cares about fairness. We will be the ones that treat Canadians with the dignity and respect they deserve by reinstating healthcare for refugees, by ending the cuts to veterans, by respecting the Charter of Rights and Freedoms with a clear position on the balance between our safety and security and our liberties, and by repealing Bill C-51.

The Harper Conservatives want you to work more, while accepting less. I want to be part of a government that improves the CPP, increases the GIS and keep the age of retirement at 65, because no Canadian should have to work as a senior.

Tom and the NDP consider a balanced budget and living within our means as a must, not a bonus. We will put an end to the income splitting and tax loopholes that have let only the wealthy get ahead. We will be a Canada where no one is left behind.

This election is about choosing what path Canadians want to take at this crossroad. After 10 years of Stephen Harper, Canadians aren’t just ready for change—they need change. Tom Mulcair has the experience and the plan to help every family get ahead. Join me in electing Canada's first NDP government. Together, we can restore our public institutions and build a better Canada.