Canada election: Singh says hell fight for national rent control as campaign enters home stretch [Video]

Singh says Poilievre wants to criminalize people who have nowhere to live

Singh took aim at Poilievre, who unveiled today his plan for clearing homeless encampments that have sprung up across the country amid a mental health and housing crisis.

Poilievre says a Conservative government would amend the Criminal Code to give police the power to arrest people for discouraging the general public from using or moving through public spaces.

Singh said he agrees that people shouldn’t have to live in tents, but said Poilievre’s approach amounts to criminalizing homelessness.

“He wants to charge people that are homeless. He wants to criminalize people that have nowhere else to live. It tracks for the Conservatives,” said Singh. “These are fellow humans. We have to treat people with compassion and dignity.”

Singh doesn’t commit to staying on as leader