Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is in St. John’s today unveiling the party’s commitments to Canadians on the even of an expected election call.

Singh’s message today was, “Tax the ultra-rich to invest in people.”

That embodies the NDP’s overarching campaign theme, assuming that the writ will be dropped sooner rather than later.

The party proposes to double the 15 per cent tax on big business profits to pay for many of its initiatives—including a national pharmacare program, basic income for seniors, and deeper investments in mental health services.

On the local front, Singh says the party supports the principle of helping the province mitigate electricity rates before Muskrat Falls comes online later this year.

However, he takes serious issue with how the Innu Nation, the first custodians of that land, were left out of the federal-provincial negotiations.

Singh said, “That’s, again, another example of this Liberal government saying that Indigenous people are the most important relationship. But then completely failing to have any sort of work with, or consultations with, Indigenous peoples.”

With longtime St. John’s East MP Jack Harris not seeking re-election, the party will be challenged to hold or add to its only seat in Atlantic Canada.