NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has publicly promised to remove any NDP MP who has worked with a foreign government after reading the NSICOP report.
So far, Jagmeet Singh is the only party leader to state he’ll remove MPs from his caucus if they’re found to have “wittingly” colluded with foreign powers to undermine Canada, while Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is demanding a public release of all the names so Canadians can know, too.
“If a member of my party, anyone that’s a New Democrat and Member of Parliament—I read the briefing—and if they are—it’s clear to me they knowingly worked with a foreign government to undermine Canada, I will immediately remove them from caucus,” Singh said.
“There is no way I will approve them to run as a candidate, nor I will I allow them to continue to sit in my caucus if they are named and they knowingly worked with a foreign government to undermine our country.”
Singh also took aim at both the Conservatives and Liberals for not having promised to do the same, stating that Trudeau has had all the names for 11 weeks and has done nothing to rid parliament or his party of corrupt MPs.
However, while Singh stated he’d remove his own MPs if they’d committed treason, he refused to say whether he’d name members of other parties, saying he’d have to reflect on that.
“The question of about whether I would name MPs of other parties if they’re in there is something I’ve got to take some serious reflection on and what’s the appropriate way,” Singh said.
“I will demand next steps once I read the report,” he added.
Liberals can’t say whether or not they’ll let guilty MPs run in the next election
Unlike Singh or the Conservatives, who’ve been demanding the release of names to the public, the Liberals cannot even commit to barring guilty MPs from running in the next election.
Last week, at a housing announcement, Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland was asked, “Do you believe that the MPs who collaborated with the foreign powers should be excluded from the nomination process for the next election?”
In response, Freeland gave a non-answer, saying, “Um, the Minister of Public Safety has been at committee today and answered questions extensively on the report. Our government takes foreign interference very seriously, and law enforcement is working hard on this issue as well.”
She then proceeded to leave the press conference with no follow-up questions asked.
