'All bets are off' when Parliament resumes, says NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh

MONTREAL -

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his team is focused on restoring Canadians’ “hope” but when it comes to the new minority dynamics in Parliament, “all bets are off.”

“After speaking with our team for the past couple days, we've really come to this strong desire that Canadians have for hope,” Singh said on the last day of the NDP’s three-day caucus retreat in Montreal. “We want to bring that hope to Canadians. We want to restore that hope.”

His MPs came to town with two objectives, to plot out their strategy for the fall sitting of Parliament and prepare for the next federal election.

They’ve come away with a plan to push for price caps on essential grocery items, table legislation to ban corporate landlords from buying up affordable apartments and keep pressure on the Liberals to fully follow-through on dental and pharma care.

“In addition, we're going to always continue to fight to make sure there is justice for Indigenous people, and that we are fighting the climate crisis… creating good jobs that allow you to build a life. That's our vision,” Singh said.

Asked about his climate policy, in light of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s demands for a “carbon tax election.” Singh said he’s still working on what he’ll pitch to Canadians, suggesting the NDP would take a different approach than the Liberals on a consumer carbon price.

“We want to see an approach to fighting the climate crisis where it doesn't put the burden on the backs of working people, where big polluters have to pay their fair share,” Singh said.

“We've been working on a plan, and will be releasing our plan, our vision for how we can do that in a stronger way, in the coming months.”

One clear red line for the NDP as they return to Ottawa is back-to-work legislation, Singh said, in light of a potential Air Canada pilot strike.

“If you ever make back-to-work legislation a confidence vote, we will always vote against that, so you can never count on our support,” has been, and still the NDP leader’s message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

As for what to expect in House of Commons committees, — where the NDP often sided with the Liberals to stave-off or water-down Conservative-led pushes for probes into ethics and appointment controversies — Singh said things will be different now.

“All bets are off. We've torn up the agreement with the Liberals. That means they can expect no help and no support from us. Anything that happens in Parliament will be based on if it is in the best interest of Canadians. We will use every tool we can,” Singh said.

NDP caucus chair Alistair MacGregor said MPs discussed how they plan to “stay focused” and not be “egged on by anything that the Conservatives do.”

“We know from previous months that they like to play all kinds of hijinks at committee and in the House procedural shenanigans. We're not going to let ourselves be thrown off by what they're coming to the table with,” he said.

MPs in Montreal said they felt they squeezed all they could out of the Liberals over the two years the supply-and-confidence deal lasted. Now, they’re ready to back new progressive policies on a one-off basis.

Asked how he feels potentially backing Trudeau-led policies after he called the prime minister “radioactive,” MacGregor said he won’t be assessing policies based on who is proposing them.

“We're not assessing policies based on whether they're coming from Liberals, from New Democrats or Conservatives. We look at everything based on its own merit. We've done that in the past, we're going to continue to do that,” he said.

“I think it's fair to say that we're all really excited to be returning next week.”

The other central focus of this caucus retreat was on the NDP’s electoral readiness.

Singh kicked off his caucus strategy session by debuting a new ad asking Canadians to consider the possibility of a federal NDP government, even though that’s a political feat never achieved in this country.

It’s a sentiment his MPs are lining up behind, telling reporters that they feel relieved to be out from under Trudeau’s “radioactive” shadow, and are ready to pitch their party as the progressive change alternative to voters who are “done” with the Liberals.

But despite this tough talk, New Democrats are not rushing to help Poilievre bring down the government. Though, insiders say their lack of eagerness for an early election shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack of readiness.

“I'm ready if an election was to be held tomorrow. I think a lot of Canadians have mixed reactions on whether they do want an election… certainly that's been a big part of our conversation,” MacGregor said.

For the NDP, their ballot sights are first set on a pair of byelections happening the same day MPs return to Ottawa.

One in Elmwood-Transcona, Man. where they’re fighting against the Conservatives for union workers’ votes to hold a longtime NDP stronghold.

The other is in Montreal, where they’re trying to win a Liberal seat, amid pushback over the party’s use of the Palestinian flag on a campaign pamphlet.

Singh has spent time in both ridings and received a largely warm reception on the streets of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, Que. when he went canvassing with his candidate this week.

While Monday’s byelections are being seen as the first real test of the NDP’s new pitch to Canadians, Singh has said that regardless of the outcome, he’s certain he’ll be the one leading his party into the next federal election.