OTTAWA—The New Democrats should drop support for the Liberal government and trigger an immediate October election, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said in a letter Thursday to NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.
Two weeks before Parliament resumes, Poilievre slammed Singh in a letter released to the Star, mocking him as a “sell-out” to the Liberal government for forming a “costly coalition to keep Justin Trudeau in power.”
The NDP has not formed a coalition with the Liberals but since 2022 has agreed to support the government in a “supply and confidence agreement” that guaranteed progress on a number of policies — dental care, pharmacare and federal anti-scab legislation — in exchange for votes in Parliament on key budgetary items and not bringing down the minority parliament.
But Poilievre said by Singh’s “own admission, your coalition has been a disaster for working Canadians,” citing high grocery prices, rising crime, housing shortages.
“No one voted for you to keep Trudeau in power. You do not have a mandate to drag out his government another year,” said Poilievre.
This week, at a cabinet retreat, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his intention is to “continue” to deliver promises laid out in that agreement, which expires next June, with an October 2025 election scheduled.
“We’re still a year-plus away from the election,” said Trudeau, and his focus is “on making sure we’re delivering through that election the kinds of things that Canadians need.”
His Liberal House leader Karina Gould said this week there remain “some things…to move forward on” in the deal. “Of course, we’re going to keep pushing in that direction. But I’m fairly confident that that agreement is a good agreement. It’s a strong agreement, and we’ll get to the end of June.”
At the cabinet retreat, Trudeau said his government has the best economic record in the G7, and will put a “very clear choice” before Canadians for the election as they hone their own partisan attacks on Poilievre.
Poilievre, however, is calling on Singh in the letter sent Thursday to “pull out of the costly coalition and vote non-confidence in the government this September to trigger a carbon tax election in October of THIS YEAR. Or you will forever be known as ‘Sell-Out Singh.’”
This is a developing story.
