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NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (The Canadian Press)

Liberals, NDP reach deal to keep minority government in power till 2025

Mar 22, 2022 | 12:21 PM

OTTAWA, ON – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Liberals have reached an agreement that would see the New Democrats support his minority government through to 2025.

Trudeau says the deal is a “confidence and supply” agreement and it takes effect today, March 22, 2022.

This kind of agreement, which is a version of the deal the B.C. NDP struck with the Greens in that province in 2017, generally involves an opposition party agreeing to support the government on confidence motions and budget or appropriation votes for a certain period of time.

Trudeau says it is about focusing on what each party agrees on, rather than disagrees on, and adds that will include action on areas such as dental care, climate change, housing and paid sick leave.

The prime minister says Canadians delivered a mandate to MPs to work together in the 2021 election, where the Liberals failed to win a majority of seats.

The Liberals currently hold 159 of the 338 seats in the House of Commons, while the NDP has 25 MPs

The MP for Grande Prairie Mackenzie expressed his concerns regarding the NDP-Liberal Coalition governance agreement.

In a release, Chris Warkentin says the coalition agreement is a “backroom deal that Canadians did not vote for.”

“They did not trust the Liberals with a majority and elected a minority government to keep Justin Trudeau accountable,” he said. “This new agreement eliminates accountability and violates the trust of Canadians.”

In that same release, Warkentin believes this NDP-Liberal coalition majority government means Canadians would see three more years higher prices, higher inflation and higher taxes.

“Justin Trudeau’s motives are clear! This is not about what’s best for Canadians but what’s best for Justin Trudeau.”

“It is nothing more than a power grab and democracy has been replaced by backroom deals. This creates a betrayal of Canadian’s trust. We will continue to fight for fiscal responsibility and accountability,” expressed Warkentin.

(The Canadian Press)