WATCH ABOVE: Canada’s tech sector is going to get a big influx of cash to allow those interested to improve their skillset if Liberal leader Justin Trudeau is elected as Prime Minister.
WATERLOO, Ont. – The Liberals took to traditional NDP terrain Tuesday, waving the labour flag as they promised $750 million in skilled trades funding.
Party leader Justin Trudeau addressed a local plumbers’ union in Waterloo, Ont., where he said he would give $500 million to the provinces while spending another $200 million on training for workers who can’t get federal training.
Trudeau also said his party’s resolve to strengthen the middle class is a testament to the Liberal commitment to workers’ rights.
“Labour movements in this country are an essential part of that – part of fighting for good wages for Canadians,” he said.
He accused Conservative Leader Stephen Harper of being out of touch with the concerns of workers and said his announcement Tuesday would undo the damage caused by cuts to the Labour Market Agreements last year.
WATCH: Trudeau appeals to Waterloo’s tech industry, says Harper predates Windows 95
“You’ve seen your personal debt rising as your job prospects sink. You want to seek out better opportunities but you can’t access the training you need,” Trudeau said.
“Stephen Harper doesn’t know what that’s like. When he was first elected, Windows 95 was still two years away … (and) the cutting-edge way to apply for a job was to send in your resume by fax.”
Another $50 million in the Liberal plan would go to help aboriginal people improve their skills and employability.
Trudeau made the announcement in a riding where the Liberals lost to the Conservatives by only a handful of votes in 2008, followed by a close second-place finish in 2011.
He was also asked when the Liberals would provide a fully costed platform. He declined to address the question, pointing instead to his party’s fiscal framework that he says shows Canadians where the Liberals would spend money.
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