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    • Jagmeet Singh convenes NDP caucus in 'target' Edmonton

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    EDMONTON -

    NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has convened his MPs to meet in "target" Edmonton over the next few days to plot out their strategy for the return to Parliament.

    As the 2024 political year gets rolling, the federal New Democrats have descended on Alberta for a three-day caucus meeting, with electoral growth and policy goals top of mind.

    "Our strategic session is going to focus on how we can continue to make this Parliament work for people," Singh said, speaking to reporters on Tuesday between closed-door 2024 plotting sessions.

    "How do we deliver for people like we delivered dental care? How do we deliver housing that's affordable? How do we bring down people's rents and we focus on making sure people can afford their groceries? That's what our focus is."

    As they dive into internal discussions on what policies his team plans to prioritize in the House of Commons, Singh said his team plans to find ways to make the case over the coming months that the Liberals and Conservatives can't be trusted to tangibly make life more affordable for Canadians.

    The NDP have indicated they'll be using the upcoming sitting to both push for new measures, potentially to be included in the next federal budget, as well as action on outstanding promises.

    "We want to put to Canadians that New Democrats are the ones on your side. We're not beholden to the corporations like the corporate-controlled Conservatives, we're not out of touch like the Liberals and Justin Trudeau," Singh said. "We are fighting for families, we're fighting for you, and we have done so. We're going to continue to do so here in Edmonton and across the country."

    State of confidence-and-supply deal

    With affordability, housing and health care among the most top-of-mind issues for voters across the country, the NDP is optimistic about coming out of this strategy session with fresh ideas about how to push Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to deliver on his outstanding confidence-and-supply commitments.

    While dental care and anti-scab protections are pledges in progress, work remains on pharmacare, long-term care, and homebuyers' rights legislation. 

    Tapped to help in that effort is Anne McGrath, who recently left her role as the party's national director to become Singh's "principal secretary." She's been asked to play a more prominent role in "overseeing progress" on the two-party pact inked in 2022.

    According to the NDP, McGrath's pivot is part of their plans to position the party "for success in the next federal election," currently just a year and a half away.

    With that looming deadline in mind and officials indicating they're prioritizing being election ready at any time, Singh was asked Tuesday if part of the party's electoral planning is because they're considering contingencies should they pull out of their deal with the Liberals early.

    Singh said his focus remains on finding ways to make this current government work. 

    Edmonton a target for growth

    Edmonton a target for growth

    While in town, the NDP leader is also getting out into the community to hear from residents about what their concerns are and to pitch their party to voters as a viable vote in the next election.

    "Edmonton is one of our targets," Singh said to a group of bundled-up volunteers that gathered at a local community centre to join their leader and local MPs — past, present and prospective — to go knock on doors Monday afternoon.

    The party has indicated it is looking to grow its support in the city and the province, beyond its current two MPs Heather McPherson and Blake Desjarlais.

    Both federal politicians accompanied Singh and Trisha Estabrooks — the NDP candidate looking to defeat Liberal cabinet minister Randy Boissonnault — for the canvas.

    "The word that I think of every time I knock on doors in Edmonton Centre is 'momentum,'" Estabrooks said.

    Questioning if Trudeau has spoken to any real Canadians lately, Singh hosted a town hall Tuesday night in the Inglewood neighbourhood, where during his door-knocking he noted a number of urban infill housing builds are underway.

    At the event, Singh heard from Albertans about their challenges with making ends meet, their precarious housing situations and their concerns about health-care privatization.

    There was also talk about making sure the NDP pushes the Liberals to follow through on pharmacare, aided by a pamphlet left on every chair in the standing-room-only community centre by an advocacy group, pushing for action "now!" Singh said they're "working on it."

    That same goal of improving Canadians' cost of living is also coming up over in Montreal, where the prime minister is meeting with his cabinet, and in British Columbia, where Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been rallying supporters.

    NDP support stalled?

    While Singh's evening event isn't expected to draw crowds comparable to those heading out to listen to the Official Opposition leader, now six years into his leadership, Singh appears to be avoiding any overt dissent, despite relatively stagnant polling numbers that consistently have the NDP at around 20 per cent support.

    Raising the spectre of the strategic voting challenge coming up again, the caucus of 25 is meeting as a newly released Angus Reid survey suggests many NDP voters are indicating a willingness to support the Liberals if that's what's needed to stave off a Conservative victory.

    According to the polling, 36 per cent of NDP supporters said they'd probably switch their vote to Liberal, while another 30 per cent said they'd consider that option, indicators that if borne out could be "a catastrophic loss of support," for Singh and his party, the Angus Reid report notes.

    Expected to be part of Singh's case to Canadians come the next campaign is that they have another choice other than the Liberals or Conservatives.

    How the party plans to position itself — both in messaging and in action — between now and the next vote as that viable alternative, is some of what's expected to be hashed out here at this retreat. 

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