Emerging from a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh sounded firm on what he wants from this minority parliament.
“I took out three specific priorities for the throne speech,” Singh said during an interview on The West Block with Mercedes Stephenson.
“All I wanted to see that the prime minister is taking very seriously, and is committed to taking concrete measures [on].”
Singh suggested he was convinced Trudeau take stock of your desire to talk, which will take place on December 5, after he announced his new cabinet on November 20.
Speech from the Throne is the first opportunity for the government to put the legislative agenda before the House of Commons and will be the first opportunity for the Liberal Trudeau to test whether they can secure enough support from opposition parties to get it passed.
If Trudeau failed to get a majority vote in favor of speech, it would trigger the fall of the government and set the stage for another election.
NDP and Bloc Quebecois are two parties that have been the focus of speculation about what might be necessary for them to prop up the Liberals.
And it was in this parliamentary situation that the NDP have stressed their priorities universal pharmacare and national dental care plan.
Singh also said that it wants strong climate emissions targets and for the federal government to drop its appeal against the decision of compensation for Indigenous children.
Trudeau signaled last week that the two sides largely on the same page.
“With Mr. Singh, we have a number of shared priorities,” said Trudeau during a photo op before their meeting.
“Fighting climate change, to make sure we address the issue of affordability … we both made a commitment to pharamcare on our platform.”
Liberal party platform included a promise to discuss potential provincial pharmacare plan but did not commit to implementing it.
Singh, however, hinted that he was ready to vote down the Liberal government’s throne speech they do not play ball, but declined to lay out a clear line.
“I am willing to vote against the throne speech,” said Singh.
“I do not want to pull the orange line in the sand, but I want to show that I am strong.”
Singh noted that the liberals might have to rely on the NDP as partners to get things done during their minority government.
“If he wants to work with someone to actually develop something like a dental care program, we are pushing for it,” Singh said.
“He had to work with us if he wanted to deliver it.”
The Trudeau Liberals came 13 seats short of a majority in the elections of October.
As a result, which means that Trudeau will need to work with others to maintain the confidence of the House of Commons in order to survive and pass the laws.
That does not mean that the New Democrats are the only party Trudeau had to work with the Liberal platform to deliver on the cuts, but those with the Liberal party have found similarities in the past.
Another option could be the Bloc Quebecois.
In an interview with The West Block Mercedes Stephenson, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet indicated that his party will support this Trudeau Liberals for now.
“I do not believe that Canadians or Quebecers elected a minority government to return to elections in two years,” said Blanchett.
“It comes with the obligation to collaborate -. To find common ground”
Bloc Québécois submitted 32 seats by “la belle province,” helping them regain official party status in Parliament and nearly tripled the number of seats they were before the drop-in writing.
New Democrats, on the other hand, has 39 seats before the election but lost one-third of them on October 21, losing 15 and see the party they were almost completely wiped out in Quebec.
With the results of the election, the NDP fell to fourth in the number of seats held by parties in parliament.
Singh said that Trudeau worked with the separatist Bloc does not look like the best way forward for the government.
“The fact that Mr. Trudeau would rely on the support of the party … which seems to be interested in sharing Canada – apparently not a good way to keep going,” said Singh.
“We’re really a choice when it comes to working with the national party.”
Singh did acknowledge that Trudeau could decide to pass on working with New Democrats, but he says he’ll try to look for ways to be constructive.
“He can work with anyone else,” Singh said. “But my goal isn’t to look for ways to tear down the government.”
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