New Democrat MPs returned to Ottawa on Monday after two weeks of hearing from families across Canada about the toll the economic downturn is having on their communities.

In Dartmouth, Windsor, and Edmonton - and dozens of other communities - families like yours, who've always played by the rules, are finding themselves left behind. They're looking for someone to listen, take action and give them a little hope.

This week Jack Layton gave them just that. Layton called on Stephen Harper to quit stalling and work with New Democrats to make desperately needed reforms to Employment Insurance and help the most vulnerable make ends meet.

YOU CAN WATCH THE VIDEO HERE.

And on Thursday, New Democrats tabled their plan to protect the middle-class from the abusive practices of credit card companies. While the Bank of Canada is lowering its rates to all-time lows, credit card interest rates continue to reach all-time highs.

LEARN MORE HERE.

Canada can come out of this crisis stronger, greener and more prosperous than ever, but we'll need to work together.