OTTAWA -- NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says a formal agreement to prop up the minority Liberal government is not on the table, but his party is "open to discussions" about ways to make Parliament work.
Singh told a news conference following a caucus meeting today that no specific offer of a deal to support the Liberals was made during postelection talks with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The NDP leader says he would be open to a looser agreement to support legislation -- such as measures to make housing more affordable -- on a case-by-case basis.
Singh says the door is not closed to greater co-operation, adding, "we are open and there is not a closure on their part."
He says the NDP would work with the Liberals on policies it supports, such as extending paid sick leave, but continue to fight decisions it opposes, including the government's appeal of a court decision to compensate Indigenous kids.
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole has claimed a Liberal-NDP "coalition" is in the works that would mean billions in new spending to "buy" Singh's silence, but the NDP leader says a coalition has not been discussed and O'Toole's characterization of him is "patently false."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2021.
