With what Portage-Lisgar MP Branden Leslie calls a "media stunt," the NDP is attempting to distance itself from what he describes as a costly coalition with the Liberal government that has existed since the beginning of the most recent Parliament.
The supply-and-confidence deal was vacated by the NDP on Wednesday when Leader Jagmeet Singh said the Liberals have let Canadians down and caved to corporate greed.
Leslie explains it was an agreement to essentially commit to voting in favour of all major Liberal spending and keeping them in power.
"We've seen the outcome of that, which has been excessive overspending and a lack of fiscal prudence. This has kept interest rates higher and driven up the cost of food and everyday living. As they inch closer to an election, I think they're realizing that the public is very angry and upset with this government’s actions and knows they're to blame. So, Singh is trying to separate himself, but I don't think anybody is buying it. They've been in this coalition for several years and are just as responsible as the Liberals for the pain and suffering people across our region, province, and country are facing."
Leslie says the most common question he hears from constituents is, "When is the election?" That barrage of questions came in even before the NDP's announcement.
"'When can we have an election? When can we have this carbon tax election that our country so badly needs?' I immediately started getting texts and calls yesterday (Wednesday) asking that same question. I don’t know if this changes anything. Pulling out of the formal agreement doesn’t mean they’ll stop propping up the Liberals when budget items come up. We’ll wait and see, but our leader, Pierre Poilievre, has been clear in calling for the NDP to abandon not only this agreement but also to stop supporting this failed Liberal government that’s driving up debt and taking money out of Canadians’ pockets."
When asked about the upcoming election, Leslie says that while they don’t know when it will be called, his team is preparing for the possibility of an election as early as this fall or as late as next fall.
"We’ll be ready. In the coming months, I think we’ll see a clear contrast between a united Conservative Party, putting forward real ideas to ease the cost of living for people in Manitoba and across Canada, and trying to bring a little fiscal sanity and common sense back to Ottawa that’s been so sorely missing over the past several years."
Leslie adds he's eager to return to Ottawa and get Parliament underway, citing what he calls several Liberal scandals they need to address.
“There are a number of failed policies. After talking to so many people across our riding, and I’m sure many other MPs across the country have done the same, there is a lot of frustration out there. It’s our job to relay that frustration to the current government and express the dissatisfaction we hear every day.”
He says the timing of the next election is affected by several factors.
“There’s currently legislation that seeks to push the election date back to late October. This would allow MPs elected in 2019 to reach the six-year mark when their pensions become vested. There’s an underlying reason for the NDP’s actions. Nobody believes this is sincere; it's more of a stunt. Many NDP members will become eligible for pensions if they wait until next October. Unfortunately, the selfishness of some elected MPs is a factor in all of this. The question I get all the time is, ‘When is the election?’ and my answer is, ‘Hopefully, as soon as possible.’ We have a lot of work to do.”
Leslie believes the pension factor is a driving force behind the NDP’s recent moves.
"At the end of the day, the Bloc Québécois could continue to support the Liberals. It’s not just the NDP that holds the power to end this formal agreement. But it remains to be seen whether they’ll buckle under pressure and continue to prop up their coalition partners, as they have for the past several years. I hope they have the courage to know that Canadians want a carbon tax election and will actually vote non-confidence in this government and bring about the election we so badly need."