Social Policy in Ontario

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces deal with NDP to support Liberals until 2025

Posted on March 22, 2022 in Governance Debates

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TheStar.com – Federal Politics
March 22, 2022.   By Raisa Patel, Ottawa Bureau, Susan Delacourt, National Columnist

The prime minister said the deal would still allow for “healthy debate” and disagreement.

OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has formally announced a deal with the federal NDP that would allow the Trudeau Liberals stay in power until 2025.

“What this means is that during this uncertain time, the government can function with predictability and stability, present and implement budgets and things done for Canadians,” the prime minister told reporters Tuesday morning.

“I’ve thought long and hard about this. It was not an easy decision with so much instability around us, Canadians need stability. We’re different political parties. We stand for different things but where we have common goals, we cannot let our differences stand in the way of delivering what Canadians deserve.”

The deal, known as confidence-and-supply agreement, would see the NDP support the minority Liberals in upcoming confidence votes, like federal budgets, in exchange for NDP-friendly measures.

The prime minister said the deal was not about “compromising the core beliefs” of either party and that it would still allow for “healthy debate” and disagreement.

He said the deal came about after both parties identified shared policy objectives, including tackling climate change, advancing reconciliation, and delivering a “fairer tax system” for the middle class.

“That’s what this agreement is about. It’s about fulfilling the clear mandate Canadians gave Parliament by improving the way we do politics,” Trudeau said.

The deal is comprehensive, covering everything from child care to housing affordability, sources told the Star.

Dental care, according to sources in both parties, is the big measure that Canadians will feel almost immediately.

In the first year, dental coverage will be extended to children under 12 in households earning less than $90,000 a year. In the second year, that will be expanded to people under 18, seniors and Canadians living with a disability. In the third year, it will be expanded to a full dental-care program.

Negotiations have been going on in earnest since January between Trudeau and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and carried on even as Ottawa was under occupation by the convoy protest and a war got under way in Ukraine.

The NDP leader will discuss the deal and speak to reporters during a news conference later Tuesday morning.

Raisa Patel is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @R_SPatel
Susan Delacourt is an Ottawa-based columnist covering national politics for the Star. Reach her via email: sdelacourt@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @susandelacourt

https://www.thestar.com/politics/2022/03/22/trudeau-singh-to-address-media-following-reports-liberals-ndp-reach-tentative-deal.html?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=email&utm_email=0C810E7AE4E7C3CEB3816076F6F9881B&utm_campaign=bn_113658

Tags: budget, featured, Health, ideology, pharmaceutical, standard of living

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