Justin Trudeau Strikes Deal to Stay in Power Until 2025

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has secured a deal with the left-wing New Democrat Party to stay in power until 2025.

Trudeau made the early morning announcement Tuesday, saying his minority government would be propped up by the NDP by agreeing to co-operate on NDP planks such as a dental plan and climate change policy.  

“This supply-and-confidence agreement starts today and will be in place until the end of this parliament in 2025,” Trudeau said at an early morning press conference. “What this means is that during this uncertain time the government can function with predictability and stability, present and implement budgets, and get this done. 

“It was not an easy decision.” 

The move was first reported by the Globe and Mail Monday night. 

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has agreed to pass four budgets and he and the prime minister will meet quarterly. 

Trudeau won his second straight minority government in September 2021. In the Canadian parliamentary system the government can only pass bills with the backing of the majority of the House of Commons (and the less important, usually rubber-stamping Senate). At the time of deal, the Liberals held 159 of the 338-seat lower chamber, the Official Opposition Conservatives had 119, the NDP 25, and the Bloc Québécois, a Quebec separatist party, had 32.    

The opposition Conservatives did not care for the deal, to put it mildly.

Interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen (no relation to the Murphy Brown actor) said the move will be a disaster for the Canadian economy and called it “backdoor socialism.”

“The NDP-Liberal coalition is nothing more than a callous attempt by Trudeau to hold on to power,” she said in a statement. “Canadians did not vote for an NDP government. This is little more than backdoor socialism. Trudeau is truly polarizing politics which is what he likes.”