The leadership of the Liberals and the NDP have reached a tentative agreement that would see the NDP support the Liberal government to keep it in power until 2025 in exchange for a commitment to act on key NDP priorities, CBC News has learned.
The so-called confidence-and-supply agreement still needs the support of NDP MPs who are meeting late Monday night, according to multiple sources who spoke to CBC News on condition they not be named due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.
The agreement would see the NDP back the Liberals in confidence votes, including the next four budgets. In return, the Liberals will follow through on some elements of national pharmacare and dental care programs — programs that have long been promoted by the NDP.
Sources say the agreement would also see the two parties collaborate on parliamentary committees, as well as some pieces of legislation.
The deal does not involve the NDP joining cabinet.
Sources tell CBC News that the Liberal cabinet also met this evening virtually, followed by the Liberal caucus.
In the Liberal virtual caucus meeting, which was marred by technical difficulties, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced questions from some MPs who were concerned about why the deal was needed without the threat of an election on the horizon, sources told CBC News.
Liberal MPs were not told the reason for the last-minute caucus meeting, sources said.
Under a “confidence-and-supply” agreement, an opposition party agrees to support the government on specific measures under specific conditions, and to not vote to defeat the government for a period of time.
British Columbia’s NDP government made a similar deal with the province’s Greens in 2017.
It differs from a formal coalition arrangement. In a coalition, typically, two or more parties share the responsibility of governing, with each party represented in cabinet.
Conservatives say deal is power grab
Sources say discussions between the two parties began soon after the September 2021 election. The Liberals reached out to the NDP to find a way to collaborate on policy and allow the Liberals to stay in power.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday morning to “discuss how the NDP is fighting for the help Canadians need to take care of themselves and their families.”
Conservative Leader Candice Bergen issued a statement late Monday saying the deal “is nothing more than a callous attempt by Trudeau to hold on to power.”
“This is an NDP-Liberal attempt at government by blackmail. Nation-building is replaced by vote-buying; secret deal-making over parliamentary debate; and opportunism over accountability,” she said.
“If this NDP-Liberal coalition stands, Canada is in for a very rough ride.”
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.
