Trudeau and Singh Agree to Play Nice, Securing a Liberal Government
What Happened?
Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh, leaders of the Liberal Party and the NDP, have struck a deal to work together to keep Trudeau in government until 2025.
Referred to as a confidence and supply agreement, the Liberal party will support key NDP policies and issues including housing and climate change in exchange for the NDP's support of the Liberal's next four budgets and other non-confidence measures, allowing for the government to "function with predictability and stability, present and implement budgets and get things done for Canadians," according to Mr. Trudeau.
This is the first time an agreement of confidence and supply has been called between two federal parties, though it has been done at the provincial level (e.g. Horgan and Weaver in BC in 2017). That being said, many political pundits argue we're seeing little more than a photo-op.
In our government system, a minority government is most vulnerable to two types of votes: confidence votes (AKA a vote of non-confidence, when a party is voted no longer fit to lead) and budgets (or supply) votes.
To be clear, a confidence and supply agreement isn't the same as a coalition (it can be confusing, we know). While a coalition is a formal partnership between parties to align on legislation, it's better to think of this as a loose agreement to align on the Liberal's two most vulnerable areas in exchange for support of key NDP issues. The NDP is free to leave the agreement at any point if it is no longer beneficial.
As Singh explained, “We will remain an independent party and the opposition party, with the ability to hold this government to account, and to oppose the government where we see necessary.”
In exchange for support of the Liberal government's budget and confidence votes, the parties have agreed to align on key priorities to the NDP, including:
An income-based dental care program
National pharmacare
Rapid housing initiative
Worker protections for labour action or lockouts
Indigenous reconciliation measures
Definancing fossil fuels and other climate policies
Key to this agreement is the Liberal and NDP's aligned goal to stand against the Conservatives, which Conservatives have since called “backdoor socialism” “over-the-jeans leftism” and “wanton polyamorous pluralism” (three fantastic names for a band, if you're looking for one).
So what's actually happening behind this deal? This confidence/supply deal effectively gives Trudeau the majority he needs to stay in office for 4 more years, instead of having to call another election in about two years. To be honest, this deal with the NDP is likely Plan B (Plan A was Trudeau winning a majority government in the blink-and-you-missed-it federal election during the fall of last year).
This deal also gives Trudeau a boost following criticism of his handling of the freedom convoy and the war in Ukraine and gives the Liberal party stability to govern without risking a non-confidence vote that the Conservatives and another party might try to bring forward.
For Singh? It's a chance to have his name on key legislation, have a clearer path to advocate on issues and bump his public image for when he runs for Prime Minister again in 2025.
Unfortunately (for us, at least), this deal is far from "backdoor socialism."
Let's put it this way: while this agreement may sound like a historical moment, what we're most likely seeing is a public handshake that Trudeau and Singh have been making backstage for years. The NDP and Liberals have been promising progress on all the key issues mentioned for years—although hopefully, this might push our government to move faster on these changes.
Because we know one thing for sure: a promise isn't a policy—but it could be. We've just seen a loud agreement on issues we collectively care a LOT about, now it's time for both parties to fight hard to back those promises up with policy and budgets.
Trudeau and Singh working together mean there are two parties to hold accountable & two parties that have a vested interest in success on their shared files.
And let's be clear: this deal is a welcomed alternative to risking a Conservative government by triggering an election in two years. Call us crazy, but we'd like to pass on risking more Harper-era policies, Ford antics and Trump-like beliefs that seem to be spreading through the Conservative Party.
While a 2025 election is inevitable, we're hoping Trudeau and Singh use the next four years to make major gains for Canadians.
Trudeau had an actual majority in 2015 and pretty much squandered the opportunity. This is his chance to make meaningful change, and we hope he leverages the insight someone like Singh brings to the table.
The Canada Trudeau inherited, the one that was impressed with his "It's 2015" reasoning for gender parity in his cabinet, isn't the one he's governing today. We're older, wiser, and aren't going to be impressed by political lip service.
If Trudeau wants us to be impressed, he'll have to earn it.
If Trudeau wants a legacy worth remembering, it is in his best interests to work with Singh to secure it.
The floor (and the house) is yours JT, so pitter patter.
