If Jody Wilson-Raybould wants to testify a second time before the House of Commons Justice Committee but isn鈥檛 given the chance, that amounts to "an obstruction, absolutely,鈥� says NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
In an interview with CTV鈥檚 Question Period, Singh called the contradictory testimony from Gerald Butts, Prime Minister Trudeau鈥檚 former principal secretary, 鈥渋ncredulous鈥� and 鈥渟imply unbelievable,鈥� and he鈥檚 urging the Liberals to let the former attorney-general respond.
鈥淕iven all that, Ms. Wilson-Raybould should have the chance to come to committee and provide her rebuttal to what鈥檚 been put forward,鈥� Singh told CTV鈥檚 Evan Solomon.
Singh enters the House of Commons Monday as the Liberals continue to deal with the SNC-Lavalin affair. Whether or not Wilson-Raybould will be granted the opportunity to return to the committee will be decided in a debate behind closed doors on Tuesday.
When Singh takes his seat in the House of Commons, he will do so as the first person from a visible minority to lead a federal party. He said he understands the historic weight of the moment.
鈥淚 remember when I was growing up as a kid, I would never have thought that someone like me, someone looking like me, would ever run to become prime minister -- would ever even have that opportunity,鈥� he said.
鈥淎nd I know there鈥檚 a lot of people counting on me, because there鈥檚 far too many Canadians who feel like they don鈥檛 belong, who feel like they don鈥檛 matter. And I鈥檓 hoping that the same way I鈥檝e been able to get to this point because people broke barriers for me, I鈥檓 hoping that maybe I can break some barriers for others.鈥�
POLLS: NDP LAGGING BEHIND
With a federal election coming in October, Singh won鈥檛 have any time to waste in winning over voters 鈥� particularly progressives who supported the Liberals in 2015.
released on March 12, the NDP ranked third, at 18 per cent, well behind the Liberals, at 33 per cent, and the Conservatives, at 36 per cent.
Still, Trudeau came out on top as the preferred choice for prime minister, with 32.5 per cent support, followed by Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, at 25 per cent. Singh captured just 7.4 per cent 鈥� virtually tying Green Leader Elizabeth May, at 7.1 per cent.
Those numbers hint at an uphill battle for Singh. Touching on his election strategy, Singh said the NDP will 鈥減rovide a real contrast鈥� to Trudeau鈥檚 Liberals.
鈥淩ight now we see a scandal where there鈥檚 political interference, where well-connected executives of a corporation have a direct line of access can call up the prime minister of his office and get laws changed and can see attorneys-general that are being pressured to change their position,鈥� he said.
鈥淚nstead, we want to say to people, listen, we don鈥檛 believe that鈥檚 the way government should operate. We believe government should be on people鈥檚 side working for people and putting forward their priorities.鈥�
The Liberals are set to unveil their latest budget on Tuesday鈥擲ingh鈥檚 second day on the job. Details on a Liberal pharmacare plan could be unveiled.
The NDP has already proposed a universal, public pharmacare program if elected. Anything short of that, Singh says, simply isn鈥檛 good enough.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not looking for a U.S.-style patchwork system, which is what the Liberals are going to propose. We鈥檝e heard that, we鈥檝e seen them hinting at it. That is not good for Canadians. It doesn鈥檛 help all Canadians. Millions of Canadians will not be protected by that type of plan,鈥� he said.
鈥淲hat we want is a universal, national, public, single-payer, medication-for-all program, much like we鈥檝e seen in other countries where it鈥檚 effective at giving everyone the care they need, reduce costs and (it鈥檚) just something that makes sense.鈥�
Asked how he鈥檇 pay for the ambitious plan, Singh said he would make 鈥渄ifferent choices鈥� than the Liberals and crack down on tax havens and other systems the benefit the richest of the rich.
鈥淚 believe that a universal medication coverage for all is possible. We could cancel some of those types of initiatives that are not benefitting Canadians and there鈥檚 revenue that we鈥檙e proposing in our budget,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e saying there鈥檚 other tax havens, there鈥檚 CEO stock option loopholes, there鈥檚 a number of things we can do to close that revenue that we鈥檙e losing and bring it into our country and invest in programs like this.鈥�
CALLING OUT HATE
Singh also touched on the horrific mass shooting in New Zealand, where 49 worshippers were killed at a mosque in Christchurch during Friday prayers. He said politicians in Canada who flirt with hateful extremist groups, or don鈥檛 loudly call them out, should be held responsible.
Singh drew a direct line between hateful political rhetoric and hate-motivated shootings, specifically citing the case of Quebec mosque shooter Alexandre Bissonnette, who killed six people and injured 19 others in 2017.
鈥淭hat type of rhetoric has to be called out. We have to name it. What happened in Quebec was born in Quebec. That was born in Canada. Not someone who came in as a refugee or an immigrant.鈥�
When it comes to immigration, Singh said, the conversation cannot devolve into pointing fingers at outsiders.
鈥淲hen people start blaming and using inflammatory language around immigration and refugees, it creates a climate for hate and fear to grow,鈥� he said.
鈥淭here can be legitimate discussions around what is the appropriate approach to take to our immigration system, but it can鈥檛 include dog-whistle politics that are particularly inflammatory against people who are already marginalized. And we鈥檝e seen that happen before. That needs to be denounced.鈥�
TURNING POINT FOR NDP?
Monday marks a significant milestone for the NDP: it鈥檚 the first time since October 2017 that the party鈥檚 leader has sat in the House of Commons.
Asked whether he鈥檚 nervous for his first day, Singh admitted: 鈥淵ou know, a little bit.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 the big leagues. Anyone who鈥檚 looked at politics in Canada, anyone who鈥檚 looked at our system, looks at this as the pinnacle.鈥�
Singh already knows what he鈥檒l ask as his first question in Parliament 鈥� and he offered a broad hint.
鈥淗ow do we make life better for Canadians, housing affordability, medication coverage for all, the environment. This general topic of area, you鈥檒l hear me focus on.鈥�
METHODOLOGY
The Weekly Nanos Tracking is produced by the Nanos Research Corporation, headquartered in Canada, which operates in Canada and the United States. The data is based on a dual frame (land + cell-lines) random telephone interviews with 1,000 Canadians using a four week rolling average of 250 respondents each week, 18 years of age and over. The random sample of 1,000 respondents may be weighted by age and gender using the latest census information for Canada. The interviews are compiled into a four week rolling average of 1,000 interviews, where each week the oldest group of 250 interviews is dropped and a new group of 250 interviews is added.
A random telephone survey of 1,000 Canadians is accurate ±3.1 percentage points, plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.
