New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh rises during Question Period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Sept. 19.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will vote against a Conservative non-confidence motion next week, allowing the Liberal government to survive with the help of both the NDP and the Bloc Québécois.
More than 24 hours after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre revealed the wording of his motion and Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet quickly announced he would not support it, Mr. Singh revealed how his party will vote.
Mr. Singh said pharmacare legislation is still before the Senate and has not been passed into law. He also criticized the Conservative Party’s positions on dental care and health care.
“These are all the factors that I put forward to say: ‘No, we’re not going to play Pierre Poilievre’s silly games,’” he said.
The NDP Leader announced two weeks ago through a campaign-style video that he had “ripped up” the supply-and-confidence agreement between his party and the Liberals, which saw NDP MPs vote to keep the Liberals in power in exchange for action on NDP priorities.
Since then and until Thursday, Mr. Singh had declined to say how he would vote on a clear confidence motion.
Mr. Poilievre released the wording of the motion Wednesday. It states: “The House has no confidence in the Prime Minister and the Government.”
Within minutes of Mr. Singh’s announcement, Mr. Poilievre attacked the NDP Leader in the House of Commons, accusing Mr. Singh of attempting to deceive voters in Monday’s two by-elections into thinking the NDP would no longer support the Liberals.
He said Mr. Singh put out a “Hollywood production” during the by-election campaign to announce that he had torn up the NDP deal with the Liberals.
“But once the votes were counted, he betrayed them again. He is a fake. He is a phony and a fraud,” Mr. Poilievre said. “How can anyone ever believe what this sellout NDP leader says in the future.”
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The Conservative Leader’s comments drew a rebuke from Speaker Greg Fergus, who suspended Question Period briefly to call for decorum.
The political impact of the motion extended to Quebec’s National Assembly, where Premier François Legault urged the Bloc to change course and not support the Liberal government next week, a request the Bloc Leader quickly dismissed.
Speaking with reporters Thursday, Mr. Legault expressed his frustration that Ottawa has not addressed his long-standing concerns about the large increase in temporary immigration in the province, which he says is putting the French language at risk, particularly in Montreal.
Mr. Legault’s comments were primarily focused on his main provincial rival, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, describing the PQ and the Bloc as sister parties.
“I’m asking Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon, the leader of the Parti Québécois, to show some courage today and to ask his Bloc Québécois friend to change his mind, to not support the Trudeau government next week and to defend the interests of Quebeckers and the Quebec nation. What’s happening right now is important. Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon has a duty to stand up, be courageous and intervene,” Mr. Legault said.
The PQ is currently leading Mr. Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québéc party in polls. The CAQ has been in power since 2018.
Mr. Legault has weighed in on federal politics before. During the 2021 federal election campaign, he called the Liberal, NDP and Green Party plans dangerous and praised then-Conservative leader Erin O’Toole.
Mr. Poilievre raised Mr. Legault’s criticism of the Bloc Thursday in Question Period, accusing Mr. Blanchet of abandoning Quebeckers.
Mr. Blanchet defended his position Thursday afternoon on Parliament Hill, telling reporters that the Premier’s comments had him scratching his head, partly because the Conservatives have not detailed how their own immigration policy would differ from the current Liberal government. He also said the Conservative motion has nothing to do with immigration.
Mr. Blanchet suggested the Premier’s comments have more to do with Quebec politics. He also insisted he is not propping up the government.
“I never support Liberals. Help me, God. I go against the Conservatives on a vote that is only about Pierre Poilievre and his huge ambition for himself,” he said.
Mr. Blanchet declined to say how long his party will continue to vote to avoid an election, suggesting it will depend on how the government responds to its requests for action in areas such as increased benefits for seniors.
“If they don’t come with the votes I want, they will fall,” he said. “That’s their decision to make.”