NDP Seeks Assistance In Budget For Volunteer Firefighters

NDP Leader, Jagmeet Singh, wants to see help for volunteer firefighters in the upcoming federal budget.

“Last summer wildfires raged across Canada. Families lost everything and, hundreds of miles away from the fires, it wasn’t safe for kids to play outside because of the smoke,” said Singh.

“In the middle of all the chaos, it was often volunteer firefighters that saved peoples’ lives, their homes and our rural communities. These are people who often have other nine-to-five jobs. They’re doing this heroic work in their free time and they deserve some financial help this tax season.”

Singh toured the Denman Island Volunteer Fire Department with Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns this week, acknowledging the work of volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers across the country.

He’s calling for an increase to the tax credit they receive.

Johns introduced a private member’s bill that would increase the firefighter and search and rescue volunteers tax credit from $3,000 to $10,000.

In addition to giving these volunteers more money in their pockets, the party says it would also help local governments and communities to recruit and retain these vital first-responders.

Johns says these are men and women who keep our communities safe in the middle of disasters. “The very least the government can do it get them some financial help so that they can keep doing this incredible work for our rural communities,” he said.