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Lower cellphone, internet bills within reach for northern families, NDP candidates say

Sudbury candidate Nadia Verrelli and Nickel Belt candidate Andréane Chénier highlight party’s plan to lower costs
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Andréane Chénier (left) is the federal NDP candidate in Nickel Belt, while Nadia Verrelli is the party's candidate in Sudbury for the 2021 federal election.

Northerners are paying some of the highest fees for cellphone and internet in the province, and the NDP has a plan to bring those costs down, candidates Nadia Verrelli (Sudbury) and Andréane Chénier (Nickel Belt) have said.

“Some families are facing bills of hundreds of dollars just for their internet, on top of their cellphone bills,” said Chénier. “Justin Trudeau never brought down costs during his six years in government. Instead prices keep going up.

“Northerners deserve better than that. New Democrats will take on big telecom and bring down the costs. You can trust the NDP to fight for you.” 

The candidates said Liberal leader Justin Trudeau promised back in 2019 to lower phone bills, but in 2021, that promise isn’t part of his platform.

“Justin Trudeau teamed up with O’Toole’s Conservatives to protect big telecom and billionaires, making families pay more and more,” said Verrelli. “That’s not fair and New Democrats will fight to protect families from skyrocketing bills.”

When it comes to high-speed internet, there are still Northern Ontario residents with no access to broadband, and some with no internet access at all — a situation that has to change, the candidates said.

“Justin Trudeau had six years in government to deliver broadband internet to northern communities. He didn’t,” said Chénier. “Instead he chose not to bring affordable service to families, but allowed bills to keep rising. That’s the price Trudeau is making Northerners pay.” 

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said Trudeau did nothing when the CRTC decided against setting a cap on prices, did nothing to oppose the Rogers-Shaw merger that limited choice in providers and allowed Telus and other companies “to take huge government subsidies while hiking rates and sending Canadian jobs overseas.”    

“We know it is possible to make cellphone bills cheaper and so does Justin Trudeau. I’m not Justin Trudeau. I will fight with unlimited zeal for people,” said Singh in a news release. “Better is possible. You just need to vote for it.”


 

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