Left-leaning NDP agrees to prop up prime minister’s Liberal minority government in exchange for advancing key policies.
Canada’s ruling Liberals have reached a deal with a left-leaning opposition party to prop up their minority government until 2025, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced, promising to advance a range of issues, including a dental care programme for low-income families.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, Trudeau said the “supply-and-confidence” agreement with the New Democratic Party (NDP) would bring “stability” to Canadian politics after a series of snap elections in recent years.
The deal gives the Liberal Party government a total of 184 votes in the 338-seat House of Commons – a majority is 170 seats – and the ability to stay in power for the full, four-year term, with the NDP agreeing to back it on budgets and confidence votes.
“What this means is that during this uncertain time, the government can function with predictability and stability, present and implement budgets, and get things done for Canadians,” Trudeau said.
“Both parties have identified key policy areas where we share similar objectives and we’ve agreed to work together to put the needs and interests of Canadians first.”
In a statement, the NDP outlined key policies the parties have agreed to advance as part of the agreement, including a dental care programme for low-income Canadians and a universal prescription-drug coverage programme.
They also pledged to continue fighting the climate crisis and phase out public financing of the fossil-fuel sector.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will hold the Liberal government to its promises as part of the agreement [File: Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters]
“We’re making sure people get help to get their teeth fixed, to get the medication they need,” Jagmeet Singh, the NDP leader, told reporters on Tuesday morning.
“And we’re not going to let the Liberal government off the hook. We’re going to continue to fight hard for people and continue to make sure we hold them to account to deliver these things that people need,” he said.
The NDP has backed the Liberals in key votes since 2019, as the ruling party failed to gain a majority of seats in Parliament in two successive federal elections, the latest of which was held in September.
While the so-called “supply-and-confidence agreement” is not unheard of in Canadian politics, it is unprecedented to have such a deal in writing at the federal level.
The opposition Conservative Party slammed the agreement, saying in a statement on Monday that it was “a callous attempt by Trudeau to hold on to power”.
“Canadians did not vote for an NDP government. This is little more than backdoor socialism. Trudeau is truly polarising politics, which is what he likes,” said interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen.
Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet also called the deal a “false majority” that betrayed last year’s vote.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
