NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was asked about the Toronto by-election that saw the Liberals lose one of their safest seats in the country.
“We look at this as really people sending a clear message. They are frustrated with Trudeau. They are done with Trudeau,” he told reporters on Thursday.
Singh was later asked if he’d consider ending his Supply and Confidence Agreement with the Liberals, which the two parties forged in 2022.
Singh balked at the question, offering up a lengthy word salad.
“You didn’t answer my question as to whether you’d be willing to end that early,” the reporter quipped back.
Singh responded, “Right now that is not a decision we’re making today.”
The NDP leader further said his dental plan, announced in coalition with the Liberals, needs work.
“We’re going to force the government to fix those flaws,” he said.
NDP-Liberal Coalition
In March of 2022, the NDP promised to protect the Liberals from confidence votes and support for the Liberals’ fiscal policies in exchange for the Liberals to support some of the NDP’s initiatives, such as the recently announced federal dental care program that some provinces don’t even want.
Singh has since then never really held the Liberals accountable for much, while talking tough.
Many speculate the NDP leader is steering clear of triggering a no confidence vote of PM Justin Trudeau, thereby forcing an election to be called, because Singh assumes the election results will be so humiliating that he’ll have to step down — and he doesn’t want this to happen before 2025 because that’s when his pension kicks in.
