Poilievre urges Singh to end NDP deal with Liberals, force fall election

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is asking the New Democrats and Bloc Québécois to stop supporting the minority government and force an early election, saying Liberal policies are making life less affordable for Canadians.

"Canadians cannot afford another painful, costly, chaotic and corrupt year of Justin Trudeau," he said at a press conference in Ottawa on Thursday morning.

"He will not quit; he must be fired."

Poilievre called for the other opposition parties to vote non-confidence in the government when the House of Commons resumes next month.

He also sent a letter Thursday to New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh, urging him to pull out of the party's confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals.

"Singh sold out to workers to sign onto this costly coalition," Poilievre said.

"He can huff and puff all he wants, but he supported the inflationary policies that destroyed the wages of working class people."

The NDP entered a deal with the Liberals in 2022, agreeing to keep the minority government in power until June 2025 in exchange for movement on key priorities.

New Democrats have used the agreement to push forward initiatives such as dental care and pharmacare, which would provide free diabetes medicine and birth control.

At the press conference, Poilievre wouldn't say whether a future Conservative government would maintain those programs, but said his party's platform will be released once an election is called.

In a statement in response to questions about Poilievre's letter, NDP House leader Peter Julian accused the Tories of wanting to cut programs and said the party fundamentally disagrees with those plans.

"Leaving the deal is always on the table for Jagmeet Singh," Julian said.

He added that Poilievre wants to "ensure pharmacare cannot make it to implementation this fall."

Legislation that sets the groundwork for a future national pharmacare program passed through the House of Commons last spring and is at the committee stage in the Senate.

If the bill becomes law, it would also allow the health minister to negotiate with provinces and territories to implement federal coverage for certain diabetes and contraceptive medications and supplies.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press