Jagmeet Singh justifies agreement with the Liberals ahead of key convention confidence vote

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh used his keynote convention speech to lay out his argument about why his agreement with the Liberals was worth it.

He acknowledged that he has faced questions about why he is working with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “when he is doing such a bad job?” 

“Well, it’s not easy, and it’s definitely not fun,” Singh said on Saturday, referring to the supply-and-confidence agreement the party signed with the Liberals in 2022.

Under that agreement, the NDP pledged to provide the Liberals with votes on key pieces of legislation, in exchange for the Liberals advancing a number of NDP policy priorities.

The NDP convention in Hamilton is the largest meeting of New Democrats since the party signed the confidence-and-supply agreement last year. Delegates have shared a range of views with CBC, ranging from support, opposition and criticism that the deal doesn’t go far enough to advance the party’s goals.

Singh addressed those concerns and also justified continuing to maintain the agreement with the Liberals. His speech came ahead of a critical leadership review vote, which is held during most NDP conventions. 

 Singh won the support of 81 per cent of delegates, who voted not to hold a leadership convention. 

That’s down slightly from his previous votes. In 2018, 90.7 per cent of delegates voted against triggering a leadership race. In 2021, 87 per cent of party delegates voted against a leadership convention.

More work to do, Singh says

Singh said this year, New Democrats are going to push the government to implement expanded dental care coverage for seniors and persons with disabilities..

In addition to expanding the government-subsidized dental program, the NDP-Liberal deal also calls for the passing  of “a Canada Pharmacare Act by the end of 2023” and a program for the government to purchase essential medicines in bulk by the end of the agreement.  

Singh, in his speech, said New Democrats are “going to force this government to finally bring in legislation that will lay the groundwork for Pharmacare.”

Doing this, Singh said, will be a fight, likely referring to his party’s recent rejection of the first draft of the Liberal pharmacare bill. The party’s health critic, Don Davies, said the NDP will accept nothing less than a single-payer public system, and the issue would be a red line for the party. 

“This will be a fight,” Singh told convention attendees. “But it’s a fight I know that you and I are ready for.”

Singh also said the agreement is worth keeping because the party wants to ensure the government finally brings in “anti-scab legislation,” which would prevent federally regulated companies from replacing striking employees with non-unionized workers.

Singh also said his party, which holds the fourth most seats in the House of Commons, has been able to demonstrate what it could do if it had even more seats or the chance to form a government.

“I have seen what is possible when New Democrats get the chance to use our power,” Singh said. “And I know that a New Democrat government in Ottawa would make life better for everyone.”

Singh’s speech also touched on the need to cap oil and gas emissions to fight climate change and build more affordable housing. 

He also spoke about familiar themes such as corporate greed, which he says is fuelling inflation and the cost of groceries. He also attacked both the Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives, calling the Tories anti-union and criticizing the party’s track record on building affordable housing.

Singh walks a fine line on Israel-Hamas war

Hanging over the convention was how the NDP will respond to Hamas’s attack on Israel and Israel’s bombing of Gaza, an expected prelude to a ground offensive.

More than 1,300 people in Israel have been killed, including women, children and the elderly, as well as young people at a music festival. Militants also took some 150 people hostage.

Gaza authorities say more than 1,800 people — more than half of whom were women and individuals under the age of 18 — have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory attacks.

WATCH | What happened in a week of war between Israel and Hamas:

How week 1 of the Israel-Hamas war unfolded

Featured VideoChief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault and CBC News teams spent the last week on the ground in Israel, reporting on the brutal attacks by Hamas, the unprecedented military response in Gaza, and what comes next.

Singh attempted to walk a fine line in his speech, acknowledging the “brutal attack” from Hamas, which he said invoked memories of the Holocaust.

“There can be no justification for the torture, murder and sexual violence committed by Hamas,” Singh said to a standing ovation from the convention crowd. “And we must call for the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza to end immediately.”

Singh said the the world cannot stand by while the people of Gaza are left to die.

New Democrat MPs are among the few Canadian political parties calling for a cease-fire.

Later Saturday, New Democrats will debate an emergency resolution that backs the party’s calls for an end to the violence and for “life-saving humanitarian assistance for residents of the Gaza Strip.”

Pro-Palestinian protesters caused a brief disruption outside of the convention hall on Saturday afternoon.