Jagmeet Singh tears up Liberal support deal

(Ottawa) Some 12 months before the next federal election, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is tearing up the agreement he reached in March 2022 with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that ensured the political survival of the minority Liberal government in the House of Commons.

In principle, this agreement was to end in June 2025. But Mr. Singh confirmed his decision to end it two weeks before the start of the parliamentary session in a video posted on social networks at 1 p.m. He has also already notified Justin Trudeau.

“The Liberals are too weak, too selfish and too beholden to corporate interests to fight for people,” Singh said in his speech. “They can’t stop the Conservatives. But we can.”

This highly political decision now means that the Trudeau government will have to navigate more turbulent waters in the Commons in order to pass its legislative agenda.

If previously he could essentially take for granted the support of the NDP to pass the federal budget, for example, or other measures that engage the confidence of the House, he will have to, starting on September 16, the day parliamentary work resumes, obtain the support of another party piecemeal.

Result: the balance of power between the various political parties will be modified. For example, the Trudeau government could have to make new concessions to the NDP, or accept demands from the Bloc Québécois, to get its bills adopted. It is highly unlikely that the Conservative Party will agree to play this role, especially since Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was urging Jagmeet Singh last week to tear up the agreement with the Liberals at the first opportunity in order to trigger a general election in October.

Under this famous agreement, the NDP had therefore committed to supporting Justin Trudeau’s minority government during confidence votes in the Commons for a period of three years.

In exchange, the Trudeau government committed to implementing measures that are dear to the NDP, such as the creation of a national dental care program, the adoption of anti-scab legislation, and investments to create a pharmacare program, among other things. The most important elements of this agreement have been implemented in recent months.

At the federal cabinet retreat last week in Halifax, government House leader Karina Gould said she was hopeful that the agreement between the NDP and the government would remain in effect as planned until June 2025.

It appears that the Trudeau government’s decision to impose binding arbitration to end the work stoppage that has paralyzed the country’s two railway companies has angered the NDP to the point of accelerating the decision to terminate the agreement.

NDP labour critic Matthew Green said Thursday that his party was reassessing its support for the deal since Labour Minister Steve MacKinnon asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose binding arbitration less than 24 hours after Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National locked out their workers. The parties had been unable to reach an agreement at the bargaining table before the announced work stoppages.

The end of the governance agreement does not necessarily mean the country will be plunged into an election campaign this fall, said a NDP source who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to speak more freely.

Jagmeet Singh will wait until Thursday to explain his reasons for tearing up the agreement at a press conference scheduled for 11:15 a.m., according to reports.

Mr. Singh is scheduled to hold a caucus meeting in Montreal next week to prepare for the parliamentary session, a few days before the by-election in the riding of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. The NDP has been pushing hard for weeks to ensure the victory of its candidate, Craig Sauvé, and thus snatch a Liberal stronghold.

Accusing the NDP leader of being a “sellout” for supporting the Trudeau government in recent months, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre challenged Jagmeet Singh to end the deal last week.

“Canadians cannot afford another year of Justin Trudeau,” the Conservative leader said during a press conference outside Parliament. “Justin Trudeau is not going to resign. He must be fired.”

“The NDP must withdraw from this costly coalition and join common-sense Conservatives in calling for an election on the carbon tax,” he also said.

Mr. Poilievre issued the challenge while his party has been leading in polls for more than a year. On average, the Conservative Party holds a lead of between 15 and 20 per cent over the Liberal Party of Canada, in power since 2015.

In his social media statement Wednesday, Singh said his party has another, bigger battle to fight: “Confronting Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative cuts. Cuts that are going to hit workers, retirees, young people, families. All so he can give more back to CEOs,” he said.