Justin Trudeau’s Liberals won’t be able to count on the support of the New Democrats to pass back-to-work legislation even if they make it a confidence vote. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh drew the line Thursday morning as the specter of a strike at Air Canada looms. He avoided taking such a clear position on other issues that could punctuate the resumption of parliamentary work in Ottawa on Monday.
“I told Justin Trudeau years ago, when I was fighting to force him to deliver programs like dental care, that if you ever make back-to-work legislation a confidence issue, we’re always going to vote against it,” he said at a press briefing Thursday after the NDP caucus meeting.
“You want to make it a vote of confidence, make it one. We’re still going to vote against it because we’re opposed to the weakening of workers,” he added.
Air Canada has been unable to reach an agreement with the union representing its 5,400 pilots after more than a year of negotiations. The Press revealed Thursday that the airline has requested an unprecedented intervention from Ottawa. It is asking the Liberal government to impose binding arbitration even before the strike, which could be triggered as early as next Wednesday.
They say that the government should not interfere in negotiations between workers and the company, but unfortunately Justin Trudeau and the Liberals and even the Conservatives, both of them, have a record where they always interfere and favour big business and that hurts the workers.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh
He cited as an example Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon’s appeal last month to the Canada Industrial Relations Board – an independent administrative tribunal – to impose binding arbitration to end the shutdown of Canadian National Railway Company (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). However, he waited until the labour dispute began before intervening. However, this move by the Trudeau government is being challenged in Federal Court.
In the Air Canada case, the Trudeau government is continuing to urge the parties to reach an agreement. Minister MacKinnon has maintained that there is “no reason” why the union and the employer should not reach a formal agreement.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who is also courting the workers’ vote, is opposed to the adoption of a special law or the imposition of binding arbitration.
No commitment on carbon tax
Mr. Singh avoided drawing a line on other issues. He also wouldn’t say clearly whether he still had confidence in Justin Trudeau’s government now that it tore up the deal that ensured the survival of the minority Liberals, but he denied he was bluffing.
“We will take every vote, every motion seriously and decide how we will vote according to what is in the interest of Canadians,” he repeated.
The Conservatives plan to table a motion of censure as soon as they can when Parliament resumes. Withdrawing the House of Commons’ confidence in the government through this vote would trigger a general election. Mr. Poilievre wants to make it an election on the carbon tax.
Torn between rising costs of living and fighting climate change, the New Democrats have taken a more vague position on carbon pricing in recent months. Singh has promised to present a plan in the coming months without committing to keeping the carbon tax.
“We want to see an approach to tackling the climate crisis that does not put the burden on the backs of working people, where big polluters have to pay their fair share,” he summed up.
A flagship measure of the Trudeau government to fight against climate change, the carbon tax has been the subject of much criticism from Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives and in particular from the governments of Alberta and Saskatchewan, which have completely stopped collecting it since January. This tax on a litre of gasoline does not apply to Quebec, which instead adheres to the carbon exchange with California, nor to British Columbia, which also has its own pricing.
In the eight provinces where it applies, taxpayers receive cheques from the federal government to offset its cost. The goal is to change consumer behavior to reduce this air pollution.
The tables have turned for Parliament to resume Monday, now that the Liberals no longer have the support of the New Democrats. Singh will try to trade that support for price caps on grocery staples like bread and baby formula.
He will also introduce a bill to ban real estate giants from acquiring affordable housing and end financial incentives for these companies “that exploit people, that raise prices, that ‘renovate’ people.” The goal is to prevent outrageous rent increases.
with Joël-Denis Bellavance, Julien Arsenault and Mélanie Marquis, The Press