Toronto
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sometimes seems to defy political gravity. He’s held office for more than eight years, through scandal and error. He survived revelations that he wore blackface three times as a young man, along with two ethics violations handed down from Canada’s ethics commissioner for conflict of interest. He has had public spats with female parliamentarians and ministers—as well as icy relations with China and India and with Presidents Trump and Biden.
Copyright ©2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
The Canadian federal government recently held a confidence vote, which was won by the Liberal party on account of their NDP partners allowing them to remain in power. The vote sanctioned the $82-billion spending package proposed in the Liberal-NDP budget and the agreement to provide up to $37.5 billion in personal and corporate tax cuts in addition to the spending package.
The alliance between the NDP and the Liberals has proved to be a successful approach for keeping Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in power. After decades of Liberal rule in the country, the NDP is working hard to ensure the current government remains in incubation. The party has advocatef intense debate on all proposed budget plans and is closely monitoring their implementation.
The NDP and the Trudeau Government have agreed on a number of important pieces of legislation such as the legalization of marijuana and the implementation of new environmental regulations that would reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. The party has also supported an increased federal investment in indigenous communities and has pushed for a national pharmacare plan.
The support from the NDP has thus enabled the Trudeau Government to focus on its more significant budgetary and legislative priorities while avoiding time-wasting debates on other issues. With the underlying argument of making sure Canadians are getting what they want and need, the NDP has provided a “life vest” of sorts to the Trudeau Government and helped to buoy them across the choppy budget and legislative waters.
The NDP’s support for Prime Minister Trudeau and his agenda doesn’t necessarily mean the NDP is in agreement with the government on all its policies. The NDP continues to differ with the Trudeau Government on key issues such as electoral reform and location of construction of oil pipelines; however, the party has taken a pragmatic approach and has kept its focus on carrying out its main goal – working for the citizens of the country.
It is clear that the NDP’s support of the Trudeau Government will continue to be instrumental in keeping him in office and ensuring the success of his agenda over the coming years. With the NDP willing to find common ground on crucial issues and not allowing its differences to derail the government’s progress, Canadians can rest assured that the country’s current Liberal-NDP coalition will continue to keep the Trudeau Government afloat.
