Canada’s political landscape faced uncertainty this week as the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP) withdrew from an agreement that had been supporting Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government. The agreement, known as a “supply and confidence” deal, involved the NDP backing Trudeau’s minority government in confidence votes in exchange for support on important issues. The unexpected termination of the deal has made an early federal election more probable.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh on Thursday declined to specify if his party would attempt to topple the government at the earliest opportunity.
“We are fully aware that tearing up this agreement will likely lead to an election,” said Mr. Singh at a press conference. “Whenever an election is called, we will be prepared to fight it. However, we will carefully consider each vote and decide what is in the best interests of Canadians.”
The NDP-Liberal agreement was initially planned to last until June 2025, and the next general election was set for October of that year.
The government is now in a more precarious position and could be ousted if the Liberals do not withstand any non-confidence votes presented after parliament reconvenes in mid-September.
The NDP-Liberal pact was not a formal coalition, but it involved the NDP supporting the government in exchange for progress on policies such as a dental benefits program for lower-income families and a national pharmacare program covering birth control and insulin. Until this spring, Mr. Singh and senior members of his party publicly remained committed to the deal, so its collapse this week came as a surprise.
Two by-elections are scheduled to take place in Montreal and Winnipeg on 16 September. According to Professor Stephenson, the NDP is likely attempting to create some distance between themselves and the poorly-performing Liberals in the minds of the voters. Professor Stephenson believes that if the NDP wants to be viewed as a viable alternative to the Liberals, they must set themselves apart from the Liberal party. However, she also noted that the NDP is not in a position of strength and would likely prefer to avoid an election in the near future.
