We saw a refreshing ray of hope shine through the grey fog of Ottawa politics this week.
Watching Jagmeet Singh and Justin Trudeau announce their Confidence-and-Supply agreement this week was a welcome antidote to the noxious partisan rhetoric of recent weeks and months.
I felt like I could almost see Jack Layton smiling down on them.
Jack Layton raised the bar on what Canadians could expect from political leaders. Not that he wasn’t a partisan actor and game for a fight. But he was always on the lookout for opportunities to get things done. During a time of intensely growing divisions and partisanship, Jack remained committed to delivering for people, even when it put the NDP’s electoral prospects at risk.
It was in that spirit the NDP worked with the Liberal government of Paul Martin, at some political risk, because they had an opportunity to get $4.5 billion investments in affordable housing, education and support for Indigenous communities into the 2005 budget.
While Jack may have introduced this collaborative approach to politics to a new generation, making minority parliaments work to achieve major positive change has long been a proud Canadian tradition. Historically, New Democrats worked with Liberal governments to create Medicare, the Canada Pension Plan, the 40-hour workweek, affordable housing and equal marriage.
In the 1920’s, J.S. Woodworth pushed Mackenzie King to establish a public pension plan and began building Canada’s social safety net. In the 1960’s and 70’s, Tommy Douglas and David Lewis worked with Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau on establishing CPP, national affordable housing and, of course, Canada’s cherished public health care system. Today’s confidence-and-supply agreement has the potential to produce similar historic results and help build a fairer and more equal Canada.
While corrosive Conservative partisanship looks to frustrate Parliamentary progress at every turn, Jagmeet Singh and Justin Trudeau really did something surprising last week. They chose hope over cynicism, and optimism over distrust. They showed the strength of our democracy.
Between them, they earned 50.4% of the popular vote and hold 54.4% of the seats in the House of Commons. They have taken the mandates Canadians handed them and worked to find common ground on policies to get through Parliament.
While I am sure Ottawa pundits will debate the political winners and losers of this for years to come, let’s think about what this agreement really means for Canadians.
Low-income kids under 12, who are not now covered, will have access to Dentalcare – this year. By 2025, Canada’s new dentalcare program will cover everyone making less than $90,000 a year. Millions of people will benefit.
By 2025, Canada will have pharmacare with a national formulary for essential medicines and bulk purchasing plan in place. Many Canadians will no longer be forced to choose between buying food or paying for their medicines.
An immediate increase health funding will mean more nurses and doctors, better mental health support, and improved health outcomes.
With budgets stretched by the rising cost of living, vital progress on affordable housing, helping renters and new home buyers, delivers real relief for families that need it now more than ever.
Enshrining national Early Learning and Childcare will protect long-term funding for affordable public child care spaces. For parents, and especially women who were pushed to the economic sidelines by the pandemic, this is critical.
For Canada’s unions, this agreement means a better deal for workers with long fought for anti-scab legislation, the implementation of paid sick days for federally regulated workers and Just Transition legislation, so we can tackle change while leaving no workers behind.
Jagmeet Singh is not naïve. I’m sure he knows his political future now rests on getting the government to implement these policies. Some see that as a risky proposition politically.
Fortunately, Mr. Singh and Mr. Trudeau chose to put people before politics and, in true Canadian style, refused to let go of an opportunity to deliver help to people who need it.
We have a generational opportunity in front of us and we must ensure the parties implement the commitments in this agreement. Canadians, sick of the toxic politics of obstruction, will welcome the sight of our political leaders working together to deliver something positive, for a change.
Bea Bruske is president of the Canadian Labour Congress. Follow her on Twitter @PresidentCLC
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.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.
Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.
They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.
However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.
Her statement on X is closed to comments.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
