Canada | Justin Trudeau's minority govt at risk as key ally NDP withdraws support
In a video message, Singh declared that he was “ripping up” the 2022 agreement between the two parties and flayed Trudeau for failing to effectively challenge the Opposition Conservatives
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suffered an unexpected jolt on Wednesday when the New Democratic Party (NDP), which had been supporting his minority Liberal government, announced it was withdrawing its backing, news agency Reuters reported.
This move, announced by NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, doesn't immediately threaten Trudeau's position, but he will now need to secure support from other Opposition members in the House of Commons to pass budgets and survive confidence votes.
In a video message, Singh declared that he was “ripping up” the 2022 agreement between the two parties and flayed Trudeau for failing to effectively challenge the opposition Conservatives.
He defended the NDP's decision to withdraw support from the Liberal government, pointing to the "even bigger battle ahead" against potential "Conservative cuts" to government programs.
"From workers, from retirees, from young people, from patients, from families – [Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre] will cut in order to give more to big corporations and wealthy CEOs," Singh stated.
"The fact is, the Liberals are too weak, too selfish and too beholden to corporate interests to fight for people. They cannot be change, they cannot restore the hope, they cannot stop the Conservatives. But we can."
However, promising to continue governing and pushing through social programs, Trudeau dismissed talk of early elections. "An election will come in the coming year, hopefully not until next fall, because in the meantime, we're going to deliver for Canadians," Trudeau told reporters at a school where he had arrived to talk about expanding lunch programs.
"I really hope the NDP stays focused on how we can deliver for Canadians, as we have over the past years, rather than focusing on politics."
Trudeau, 52, first took office in November 2015 but has over the last two years struggled to fend off attacks from the Opposition centre-right Conservatives, who blame him for high inflation and a housing crisis.
