New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh is ruling out the possibility of a coalition government with the Liberals if no party wins a clear majority after the next federal election.
That's not an option, Mr. Singh said in a year-end interview with The Canadian Press, even if the two parties work closely together.
It's not something we focus on. We strive to do enough in this Parliament and then we will compete to win.
The two parties signed a support and confidence agreement in March 2022, in which the NDP agreed to support the minority Liberals on key votes in Parliament and in return take action on the NDP's policy priorities.
The collaboration has so far led to the introduction of a national dental program, the one-time addition to the Canada Housing Benefit, a temporary doubling of the GST rebate, a law banning substitute workers in federally regulated industries and investments in the National Aboriginal Housing Strategy: for Aboriginal people, by Aborigines.
The parties agreed to maintain the agreement until 2025, with federal elections to be held in October of that year.
Mr. Singh said the deal gives him the opportunity to see the Liberals up close and see what power the federal government has to improve the lives of Canadians.
“And I can say with great clarity that they could do a lot more to help people,” Mr Singh argued. I am more motivated than ever to become the next Prime Minister. It is my goal.
Trudeau plans elections in 2025
Polls currently show that the opposition Conservatives have the majority, and since there is a minority parliament, the next elections could theoretically take place at any time. However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicated that he saw no reason for this.
He told The Canadian Press earlier this month that the next election campaign would follow the established election schedule and take place in the fall of 2025.
Mr. Trudeau said he had not spoken to the New Democrats about the possibility of forming a coalition government after the election because the Liberals were focused on the present moment.
“Canadians will decide in two years what kind of parliament they want to elect and then we'll see,” Trudeau said when asked whether a larger partnership was being considered.
We have shown that we can achieve good things and adhere to a very responsible budget framework.
He added: I'm sure people will continue to take note of what has proven to be very effective in Canadian politics for decades to come.