(Ottawa) NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh opened his first press conference since pulling out of the deal with the Liberals by taking aim at Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.
On Thursday, he wanted to position himself as a bulwark against “Mr. Poilievre’s conservative cuts.”
The leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), who let a day pass between his announcement and the time of his press briefing, believes that the Liberals cannot prevent Mr. Poilievre’s rise to power.
“But we can bring back hope. Hope that the middle class can flourish again,” he said from Toronto.
Mr. Singh painted a bleak picture of what would happen if Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives take power in the next election.
“He’s going to cut health funding and you’ll have to pay to see a doctor. […] “He wants to sacrifice our children’s future so that big oil can make more money. And he’s going to let CEOs get rich off the backs of working people and their families,” Singh said.
The NDP’s support and confidence agreement with the Liberals, which was set to last until June 2025, assured Justin Trudeau of the opposition party’s support in any confidence vote that could bring down the government.
In exchange, the Liberals promised to accomplish a series of things dear to the New Democrats, such as the launch of a drug insurance program.
Several elements of the agreement were implemented during the more than two years that the agreement lasted, such as the adoption of an anti-scab law and the establishment of dental insurance. Other points of the agreement did not lead to any achievements.
In the case of drug insurance, a bill currently before the Senate is intended to be a first step. If passed, the legislation would provide coverage for contraceptives and drugs used to treat diabetes. Negotiations with the provinces would be necessary.