The Liberals and New Democrats have reached an agreement that would see the opposition party support Justin TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 minority government through to 2025.

The Prime MinisterB次元官网网址檚 Office published details of the deal Tuesday as Trudeau discussed the agreement 鈦� B次元官网网址� and his desire for a stable and productive Parliament 鈦� B次元官网网址� at a morning news conference.

The deal says the NDP will neither move nor vote for a motion of non-confidence that could topple the Liberals during the term of the arrangement. The two parties will agree to identify priority bills to move swiftly through the House of Commons.

They will prioritize work on a dental-care program for low-income Canadians, national pharmacare, affordable housing, phasing out subsides for fossil fuels, forbidding the use of replacement workers in federal industries during strikes or lockouts, and supporting Indigenous communities that wish to undertake burial searches at the former sites of residential schools.

They also agree to work on fair taxation measures, including changes for financial institutions that have made strong profits during the pandemic, and collaborate with Elections Canada on ways to make it easier to vote. Making sure that Quebec keeps its 78 seats in the House of Commons is also part of the arrangement.

In announcing the deal, Trudeau cited the global and economic instability caused by RussiaB次元官网网址檚 invasion of Ukraine as well as the result of last SeptemberB次元官网网址檚 federal election as catalysts.

The Liberals failed to win a clear majority in the election and currently hold 159 of the 338 seats in the House of Commons, while the NDP has 25 MPs.

B次元官网网址淭he message from Canadians was as clear as the mandate they gave Parliament: work together to put people and families first, deliver results and build a better future,B次元官网网址� Trudeau said.

B次元官网网址淲hat this means is that during this uncertain time, the government can function with predictability and stability, present and implement budgets and get things done for Canadians.B次元官网网址�

Trudeau said the deal would focus on issues on which the parties agree, rather than disagree. On areas where the Liberals and NDP do not agree, such as a potential increase in defence spending in response to RussiaB次元官网网址檚 attack on Ukraine, the prime minister said such situations will be managed on a case-by-case basis.

B次元官网网址淚n the areas where there is not agreement, we will continue to do the things that the Liberal party was elected to do,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd weB次元官网网址檒l look for support from other parties as necessary as we move forward.B次元官网网址�

At a news conference of his own, Singh also underscored the importance of co-operation to help Canadians, saying on-again, off-again negotiations had been underway since the 2019 election, which handed the Trudeau Liberals their first minority.

B次元官网网址淓veryone I talked to, people are telling me that they need help now,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd they expect politicians to deliver that help. And thatB次元官网网址檚 exactly what weB次元官网网址檙e doing. WeB次元官网网址檙e using our power to get help to people.B次元官网网址�

The NDP leader pointed to the published agreement when asked how he can trust the Liberals, adding he would start to measure the governmentB次元官网网址檚 commitment with the coming federal budget and that his party retains the right to retract its support at any time.

He also dismissed descriptions of the deal as a B次元官网网址渃oalition,B次元官网网址� and said he was not offered 鈦� B次元官网网址� nor did he request 鈦� B次元官网网址� a position in cabinet.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 a New Democrat, IB次元官网网址檓 not a Liberal,B次元官网网址� Singh said. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 want to be a part of the Liberal government. My team doesnB次元官网网址檛 want to be a part of the Liberal government. That was never intended, never desired, and frankly, never offered. And we would have never accepted B次元官网网址�

Asked whether his party would support an increase in defence spending in the coming budget, Singh said it had better not come at the expense of his priorities.

B次元官网网址淲hat we believe very strongly is that no decision around military spending should get in the way of our investments in health care, should not end up cutting our health care, or the initiatives that we fought for.B次元官网网址�

He also said the government would not support back-to-work legislation during a strike.

Singh said the NDPB次元官网网址檚 motivation was to help Canadians, and to get them affordable dental care and medication. But he said he was going into the deal with optimism and B次元官网网址渆yes wide open,B次元官网网址� comparing the deal to a marriage.

He said NDP MPs, though enthusiastic about the deal when it was put to them at a caucus meeting on Monday night, made it clear they wanted Singh to demand more from the government and keep holding the Liberals to account.

The deal commits the NDP to supporting the government on confidence motions, and not to support a no-confidence motion, which could trigger an election.

But the government may label B次元官网网址渙ther votes which impede the government from functioningB次元官网网址� as confidence votes, and should give the NDP prior warning of this.

Asked if this might mean the NDP would support the government on all votes labelled a matter of confidence, the NDP said it would not be bound to support everything determined to be a matter of confidence beyond traditional ones, such as the budget.

Interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen, whose party is in the midst of a leadership race, blasted what she described as a B次元官网网址渂ackroom deal that would see Justin Trudeau get the majority power that he tried desperately to get last fall in the last election, but he failed to get.B次元官网网址�

Bergen proceeded to accuse the Liberals of having effectively given the reins of power to the NDP, which she alleged would lead to massive government spending and the death of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 oil and gas industry.

B次元官网网址淎ll of which, for Canadians, means more debt, more inflation, more jobs lost, more uncertainty, and frankly, more polarization,B次元官网网址� she added. B次元官网网址淭his is not a good day for Canadians.B次元官网网址�

While he also condemned the deal for giving the Liberals a B次元官网网址渇alse majority,B次元官网网址� Bloc Qu茅b茅cois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said the agreement would not change his partyB次元官网网址檚 approach in Parliament.

B次元官网网址淭he Bloc will keep doing exactly the same thing: if itB次元官网网址檚 good for Quebec, we will vote in favour. If itB次元官网网址檚 bad for Quebec, we will vote against,B次元官网网址� he said.

Blanchet said he spoke briefly to Trudeau on Tuesday morning before the prime minister announced the deal publicly, but that he was not asked to join the arrangement.

However, Blanchet did raise the spectre of increased support for Quebec independence if the Liberal-NDP arrangement consistently works against the interests of Quebecers.

The BlocB次元官网网址檚 public support for a proposed coalition government orchestrated in 2008 by then-Liberal leader St茅phane Dion and NDP counterpart Jack Layton was partly responsible for scuppering the effort to replace Stephen HarperB次元官网网址檚 minority Conservative government.

If it works out, the deal announced Tuesday will spur progress on NDP policies, which the party can cite as a track record in the next election, said Karl B茅langer, president of Traxxion Strat茅gies and former interim national director of the NDP.

Because the deal isnB次元官网网址檛 a formal coalition, the NDP will be able to continue to operate as an opposition party with its own identity, he said.

B次元官网网址淭he key battle between the Liberals and the NDP will be about who will be able to take credit for these initiatives. It has not always worked out for the NDP in the past,B次元官网网址� B茅langer said.

The deal will also buy the NDP time to build up its war chest for the next election, and show that the party is relevant in the meantime, he said.

B次元官网网址擬ia Rabson, Marie Woolf and Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press

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