Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Singh 'not satisfied' with confidence-and-supply agreement

Share

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he’s “not satisfied†with his party’s confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals — signed a year ago this week — because it’s shown him he could do a better job running the country than the current government.

“And so it's led me to not be satisfied with the position I'm in,†he said. “I want to be the prime minister, but I'm proud of the work we've done.â€

The deal sees the NDP support the Liberals and keep them in power until 2025 in exchange for progress on certain policy priorities.

In an interview with CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, airing Sunday, Singh said he’s “really, really proud†of the commitments he’s secured through his agreement with the Liberals, citing the first phase of a national dental care program as an example.

“That's something I'm really proud of, but I'm not satisfied with it,†he said. “Maybe that's a better way to put it.â€

“I'm not satisfied, because I don't want to just push government,†he added. “I want to be the one making the decisions for the interests of people, and having been in a position where I can actually influence decisions, I've seen how much better we would do if we were the ones calling the shots.â€

Meanwhile the confidence-and-supply deal has some key line items that are expected to be in this Tuesday’s federal budget, such as expanding the dental care program. But to avoid worsening inflation, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has pointed to plans for fiscal restraint in the budget, while promising targeted measures to help struggling Canadians.

Singh said while he agrees targeted spending is what’s needed to help people weather the high cost of living, he also thinks the dental care program, and expanding the GST rebate, are the ways to do that.

Since the confidence-and-supply agreement was struck, Singh has yet to name a deal breaker. The NDP sided with the Liberals in invoking the Emergencies Act to dismantle the trucker protests last year and have declined to pull their support for the government amid ongoing calls to hold a public inquiry into foreign interference.

"We always have the right, if the government breaks any conditions of the agreement, if they don't follow through with what we forced them to agree to, we have then the power or the option of withdrawing our support," Singh told his caucus in January.

With files from CTVNews.ca’s Senior Digital Parliamentary Reporter Rachel Aiello

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province’s police watchdog.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

Stay Connected