Canadians cherish public health care. It’s part of our national identity; a social contract that ensures we’ll be cared for when we’re vulnerable, regardless of the size of our bank account. It’s an affirmation of our collective commitment to equality and justice. But our health care system is in crisis. NDP MP and health critic Don Davies explains why.

The confidence and supply agreement between the Liberals and the NDP commits the former to taking steps to implementing a pharmacare plan by June 2025. The question is whether that will be a Québec model that preserves the profits of the drug companies and the insurance industry or a public model that puts the health of Canadians first. The choice should be obvious.

In light of the abundant evidence revealing the tremendous harm that police have inflicted on so many communities, it is nothing short of anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, transphobic, homophobic, and ableist for media outlets and the general public to spread a narrative of public safety for “everyone” that involves policing.

At a time when institutions are attempting to repair the harms they caused to Black communities and organizations involved in the 1969 Sir George occupation, when will the Canadian state acknowledge its role in manufacturing anti-Black violence during the occupation, and the continuum of harm and racial terror committed by the RCMP Security Service that followed?

Ford endlessly claims that all services will be paid for through OHIP, but research conducted by the Ontario Health Coalition clearly shows that for years private clinics took public funding and extra-billed patients. The Ford government has done nothing to stop this—although it is contrary to the Canada Health Act and limits access to care, particularly for lower income families and elders.

By targeting the mythical threat of the foreign home buyer, the Liberals seek to divert our attention from the real factors driving our intensifying housing crisis. In doing this, they are ready to fan the flames of the ugliest xenophobic sentiments in a way that makes a mockery of their progressive credentials. We should treat this measure with contempt and focus on the struggle to make housing a human right.

The accelerated gentrification of two of Mexico City’s neighbourhoods, La Condesa and La Roma Norte, has caused tensions and a near-impossible living situation for local Mexicans. The already trendy neighbourhoods, accustomed to the presence of foreigners and their money, have undergone a process of “super gentrification” since the beginning of the pandemic.

What do Faisal Bhaba, Desmond Cole, Linda Sarsour, Idris Elbakri and Fadi Ennab and countless others have in common? They are racialized people who have been special targets of pro-Israel lobby organizations in Canada because they spoke out on Palestinian rights. And these examples suggest how the defend-Israel-at-all-costs industry has a racism and Islamophobia problem.

The public entrusts school administrators to safeguard their children. Ideally, the practice of allowing anyone—let alone susceptible children—to socialize with police K-9s in classrooms should end. Nevertheless, an investigation could lead to the development of necessary policies and safety precautions to ensure that no child in a classroom is ever bitten by a police dog.

Knowing as we do that the IHRA working definition is being used to silence critics of Israel, it is imperative that progressives have the tools necessary to resist attacks on freedom of speech, thought and conscience, as well as to provide a better alternative. As it happens, there is a better definition of antisemitism, the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA).