Embattled Jagmeet Singh makes case for NDP to hold next government accountable

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh urged Canadians on Friday to elect NDP MPs to hold the government to account.

“[The Liberals] only deliver when New Democrats have had the power to make them deliver,” Singh said, referring to the dental care and pharmacare gains made during the NDP-Liberal supply-and-confidence agreement. At a progressive conference in Ottawa, Singh’s remark was met with raucous applause from the packed room at the Delta Hotel.

Singh received multiple standing ovations, during which attendees broke out into chants of “NDP! NDP! NDP!”

The enthusiasm isn’t reflected outside these walls. As of April 10, the NDP is polling at nine per cent, according to Nanos Research’s latest numbers, and less than five per cent of those surveyed prefer him as Prime Minister.

Earlier this week, Singh also urged Canadians to elect NDP MPs so they can push to extend pharmacare and ensure Canadians are fully covered. 

“Send us to Ottawa. We're going to hold government to account,” Singh said at a press conference immediately after his speech on Friday.

Other than Singh’s recent shift to cast the NDP as a power broker, his talking points have remained largely the same throughout the election — reminding Canadians about the NDP’s push for pharmacare and dental care and the introduction of anti-scab legislation. 

“One of the reasons I think that he's not really inspiring much support, is that it's kind of like a broken record,” Sanjay Jeram, a political science professor at Simon Fraser University, said in a phone interview with Canada’s National Observer.

“There's not much really new to the talking points, not much new to the way he's trying to sell his party.”

After Singh’s address, he sat down for a brief “fireside chat” with Joanna Johnson, a teacher and social media influencer.

Johnson wanted to know, after pharmacare and dental care, what the next big movement will be. 

One spectator shouted “the climate crisis,” a topic that did not come up in Singh’s nearly 40 minutes on stage. 

Singh answered that the next federal budget will be a “really important” moment for New Democrats to protect healthcare, old age security and pensions from Liberal and Conservative cuts, and a push for measures like national rent control. 

There are currently 24 NDP MPs. CBC’s poll tracker estimates the NDP will win five seats.  

The NDP is in a tough position and has been for some time, Jeram said. Singh and the NDP aren’t well-positioned to address the ongoing trade war which leaves them with limited options, he said.

New polling from Abacus Data surveyed 1,800 Canadians from April 7 to 10 on which five issues they believe should be discussed in the debates. Dealing with US President Donald Trump and his administration was the top issue at 68 per cent, closely followed by housing affordability, healthcare and the economy.

“What do they do? Right? Do they just double down on what they've done before?” Jeram asked. 

“That doesn't seem to fit the public mood, so that's maybe out. It's too late to change their leader. That would have been my suggestion about a year ago, but that's not gonna happen right now. I would be shocked if this is not Jagmeet Singh's last campaign,” he said.

The federal leaders’ debates are scheduled for April 16 and 17.

Natasha Bulowski / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada’s National Observer