Leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) Jagmeet Singh, a key ally keeping Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s party in power, declared on Friday that he will vote in favor of a no-confidence motion against Trudeau.
Singh made the announcement through an open letter, which comes after his party withdrew its support for Trudeau’s government earlier this year.
In his letter, Singh sharply criticised Trudeau’s leadership, saying, “Justin Trudeau failed in the biggest job a Prime Minister has: to work for people, not the powerful.”
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He highlighted the NDP’s resolve to bring down the government and provide Canadians with an opportunity to “vote for a government that would work in their best interests”.
“The Canadian dream is a good job that gets you a home and a fridge full of groceries with enough left over to save for vacations. A country where health care is always there as soon as you need it. I believe every Canadian deserves that,” Singh wrote.
He contended that the Liberals had let Canadians down by not following through on their promises, despite initially offering hopeful rhetoric.
Should all opposition parties unite in favor of a no-confidence motion, it would trigger an election and end Trudeau’s hold on power.
The Canadian House of Commons is currently on a winter break, meaning a formal no-confidence motion cannot be introduced until after legislators return on January 27, 2025.
Meanwhile, Trudeau announced a significant cabinet reshuffle on Friday, replacing one-third of his team in a bid to navigate growing political challenges and escalating tensions with incoming US President Donald Trump.
The shake-up follows a tumultuous week in Ottawa, marked by the unexpected resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Freeland reportedly stepped down after a disagreement with Trudeau over how to respond to Trump’s threats of imposing sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports.