An already beleaguered Justin Trudeau has been left in a politically precarious place as key ally Jagmeet Singh’s New Democratic Party (NDP) withdrew support for his minority Liberal government ahead of the general election next year.
The NDP leader made the announcement in a video message on social media, saying the Liberals “have let people down” and that they “don’t deserve another chance from Canadians”.
Though it is unlikely that the Trudeau government would fall, the prime minister would have to seek support from other opposition lawmakers in the House of Commons chamber.
Meanwhile, Canadian leader of opposition Pierre Poilievre held a press conference where he dared Jagmeet Singh, who he refers to as ‘sell out Singh’, to call for elections immediately.
Early elections could suit the Conservatives, who have a good chance at winning amid the anti-incumbency against Mr Trudeau’s government over a housing crisis and inflation.
There is uncertainty regarding whether the NDP would push for a no-confidence motion against Mr Trudeau in parliament.
The Trudeau government is safe for now as the power lies with the 32 members of parliament from Bloc Quebecois, a regional political party in Canada. The MPs seemingly are not against Justin Trudeau and his government for the time being. Mr Trudeau, however, would find it difficult to pass any new bills or legislation as his government’s numbers are vastly diminished in Parliament. His Liberal party currently has 154 seats in the lower house out of the total 338 seats.
While believing the Liberals were unable to implement several welfare schemes, the NDP was able to push for laws such as pharmacare, dental health care and a $10-a-day child care scheme, all while supporting the ruling government.
Mr Singh and Mr Trudeau had come together in 2022 to boost the Liberal party’s minority government. The agreement was supposed to continue till October next year but an NDP spokesperson said the plan to end the deal was in the works for the past two weeks.
Reacting to Mr Singh’s announcement, Mr Trudeau said his government will continue to focus on tackling the affordability crisis in the country.
“These are the things that we’re focused on. I’ll let others focus on politics. I really hope the NDP stays focused on how we can deliver for Canadians, as we have over the past years, rather than focusing on politics,” he said.
