THUNDER BAY – After NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh terminated the supply-and-confidence agreement with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government on Wednesday, the two local Liberal MPs are wondering what the future will hold for them and the party.
Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Patty Hajdu's reaction to the NDP announcement was to remind the public that work is still being done in the House of Commons.
Although she criticized the NDP for “playing politics,” she assured progressive priorities like the National Food Security Program are on the way.
“I think Canadians expect parliament and parliamentarians to work together and it's disappointing that the leader of the NDP is, you know, playing politics while Canadians are expecting us to deliver for them,” Hajdu told Newswatch.
"As a member of parliament, that's my job, to deliver for the riding, make sure that I am able to express the riding's thoughts and perceptions of what's happening in the world and their need as a region, but also to continue to work to deliver the programs that Canadians are increasingly relying on.”
Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Marcus Powlowski said he was “a little disappointed” by the NDP decision to put an end to the agreement.
“I think the agreement was functioning fairly well. I think we're getting through a bunch of legislation that we both agreed upon. The dental bill, and pharmacare. I think we were working fairly well together,” said Powlowski.
He admitted the NDP pulling out of the agreement with the Liberal doesn’t change much at the house as some of the Liberal party plans still align with NDP.
Nevertheless, Powlowski agreed with Hajdu, that Singh is politically motivated.
He said Liberal polling numbers are down, and the NDP are looking to position themselves as a “credible alternative” come election time.
Powlowski also said history does not favour the NDP’s foresight as voters have never taken a chance on a federal NDP government.
“If you look at where the NDP have been in the polls and how they've done in the last few elections, they don't seem to be going anywhere. I don't see Jagmeet Singh coming up the middle and winning this race,” Powlowski said.
“But I do think that they kind of see that as a possibility. I think it says something of their character that they seem to be willing to chance the very thing that they say they don't want, which is a Conservative government.”
“But they'd rather take the chance of perhaps having a sooner election when the Conservatives are high in popularity because they see some political advantage for them to doing so.”
Both Hajdu and Powlowski said they do not believe the end of this agreement signifies an early election might be on the horizon. The Liberals could seek an alliance with the Bloc Québécois or appeal to those NDP members who still align with their politics.
