(Hamilton) New Democratic delegates on Saturday condemned Hamas terrorist attacks and at the same time demanded an end to the siege of Gaza imposed by Israel. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict dominated part of the New Democratic Party (NDP) congress, which was disrupted twice by pro-Palestinian activists.
“We need to send a strong signal to the Government of Canada and to all Canadians that we want to see action, we want Canada to defend international law and defend human rights. Anything else is a betrayal of our values,” said NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson.
The emergency resolution, which received the support of almost all delegates, demands a ceasefire and humanitarian aid for Gaza residents as well as support for investigations into the crimes of war on both sides. It condemns both “all acts of anti-Semitism and anti-Palestinian hatred” and calls for “a just peace” for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Four emergency resolutions in response to the war between Hamas and Israel had been submitted, but only one could be debated. Only 30 minutes were allocated for all last minute proposals. An activist’s attempt to add recognition of apartheid imposed by Israel in the Gaza Strip and the imposition of sanctions against the Jewish state failed.
Reactions to this new chapter in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have cast a shadow over the New Democrats’ convention, the last before the next federal election. The party confirmed that four delegates lost their accreditation after a demonstration in support of the Palestinian people in a hallway at the Hamilton Convention Centre.
This stunt, which brought together a few dozen people, had taken place earlier outside the room where Mr. Singh was giving his speech. City police said a security guard was injured and there were no arrests.
The NDP justified the withdrawal of accreditations under its anti-harassment policy and the need to create “a safe space” for delegates. A few hours later, activists chanted slogans for the liberation of Palestine, under the dismayed gaze of MPs Heather McPherson, Jenny Kwan and Peter Julian who were preparing to participate in a panel on the stage.
PHOTO PETER POWER, THE CANADIAN PRESS
NDP delegates chanted slogans about the liberation of Palestine.
“They didn’t even recognize what the Palestinian people are going through,” lamented Shiam Abdella, who is vice-president of the Oakville, Ontario riding association. Only that would have been enough for me. »
Singh condemns Hamas and Israeli violence
“Nothing can justify the torture, murders and sexual violence committed by Hamas,” Mr. Singh said a few hours earlier in his speech. “And we must call for an immediate end to the massacres of innocent civilians in Gaza. The world cannot stand idly by while the people of Gaza are left behind. »
The approximately 900 delegates gathered in the room rose to applaud.
“New Democrats have always been those who nourish the desire for peace, even when there are calls for war,” he added.
However, he refrained from describing the bombings of the Israeli state in the Gaza Strip as war crimes in a press briefing.
81% support
Mr. Singh passed the campaigners’ vote of confidence with flying colors with 81% support. This result is the lowest he has obtained since he took the helm of the political party in 2017. He sees it as a sign that the New Democrats want to obtain more within the framework of the agreement which binds them to the liberals.
“I received a strong mandate and the New Democrats are telling me to go ahead and work harder. That’s what I’m going to do,” he said after the results were revealed.
The delegates also decided to send a message to Justin Trudeau’s Liberals by unanimously adopting an emergency resolution: the agreement will not hold without a “universal, complete and entirely public” drug insurance program. .
Although this resolution is not binding, like all the others that have been adopted, the NDP leader said he would “follow the direction of the delegates”. The New Democrats have already refused the first version of a future bill to create this new drug insurance program.
PHOTO PETER POWER, THE CANADIAN PRESS
New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh received 81% support in a confidence vote.
Mr. Singh also said he wanted to obtain “concrete actions to give a helping hand to people” who are struggling with the housing crisis, the affordability crisis, the rising cost of groceries and the cost of life in general.
Delegates adopted a resolution Saturday to build 3.5 million affordable housing units in ten years. This is the number needed by 2030 for rents to become affordable again, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
It’s Jagmeet Singh’s third vote of confidence since he was elected NDP leader in 2017. Members must indicate whether they want to hold a leadership contest at each convention under the party’s constitution. He obtained 91% in 2018 and 87% in 2021.
The announcement of the result was made without fanfare early Saturday afternoon. The NDP convention brought together only 952 delegates, unlike the 1,200 people who had registered, according to party data.
Some delegates questioned the agreement which allows the Liberals to govern as if they were in the majority thanks to the support of the New Democrats. An attempt to make it conditional on the introduction of an anti-scab bill within three months was rejected.