NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced on Monday that his party has yet to decide on supporting the recently unveiled federal budget. Despite an existing agreement with the Liberal Party to support budgetary and confidence votes in exchange for advancing key policy issues, Singh expressed reservations about the current budget proposals.
During a press conference, Singh highlighted that while the budget addresses some NDP priorities—like the funding for national pharmacare and school lunch programs—it falls short in other areas, particularly in providing sufficient support for a national disability benefit. “We need to discuss our concerns with the Liberals before making any decisions,” Singh stated.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who had discussions with NDP finance critic Don Davies over the weekend, defended the budget during a media interview. She expressed optimism about ongoing discussions with the NDP and hoped for cross-party support for what she termed “essential investments” included in the budget.
However, other political parties, including the Conservatives, Bloc Québécois, and Green Party, have already declared their opposition to the budget. The confidence-and-supply agreement between the Liberals and NDP, which is in effect until June of the next year, mandates open communication and no surprises, a principle both parties are navigating as they discuss the budget’s implications.
This ongoing negotiation follows Singh’s previous threats to pull out of the agreement if the Liberals did not increase healthcare investments and meet the deadline for introducing pharmacare legislation, underscoring the tension between maintaining coalition agreements and adhering to party principles.