![]() He has asked for the Canada Recovery Benefit to be reinstated, providing income support to a wider number of people. Days after the Liberals announced it, Singh accused the government of abandoning people who need help in the middle of the pandemic. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has previously indicated that he would be prepared to work with the Liberals on policies both parties agreed on, because he wants to work across party lines to get things done.īut right out of the gates, the NDP's support for the new benefits plan isn't guaranteed. Holland said legislation to make it a crime to harass or block hospital workers outside their place of employment is also at the top of their list. 21, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the benefit programs for individuals and businesses would be adjusted, so wage and rent supports would go only to businesses still extremely hard hit by the pandemic - namely hospitality and tourism - and individual income supports would be targeted only at workers whose jobs disappear because of a public health-enforced lockdown. Holland said the Liberal priority is legislation to extend COVID-19 benefits. Instead, the discussions will be on a case-by-case basis as every bill is introduced and debated. Heading in to Monday's caucus meeting, some Liberal and NDP MPs were musing about the possibility of formalizing that arrangement, and some informal discussions between some senior officials from both sides centred on what both sides wanted.īut at the moment, a formal arrangement is not in the cards from either party's perspective. But it is no secret that the NDP is the party with which the Liberals share the most, and certainly in the last Parliament, the NDP was the party from which the Liberals did get the most backing. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with each other party leader in late October, and in each conversation the areas of common ground were perused. We have a very aggressive agenda to get to in the next coming weeks and that's what we're focused on."įormer House leader Pablo Rodriguez, now the minister of heritage, said reaching out a hand to all parties was how they handled it in the last Parliament. "And the prime minister has had conversations with his counterparts and other parties. "Look, we're talking with each and every one of the parties about our common agendas and what we can get done for Canadians," he said. Holland said they aren't limiting their discussions on that front to any one party. It means, like in the last session, they need to find a dance partner if they're to make Parliament work. The Liberals were re-elected for the third time but with the second straight minority mandate, leaving them without the guarantee of getting legislation through the House of Commons they would have had if they'd won another dozen seats. "Look, I appreciate speculation but that’s not what we’re in the business of," Holland said. Holland, speaking outside the first Liberal caucus meeting since the September election, downplayed the suggestion the Liberals are negotiating any kind of formal agreement with any other party, including the NDP. OTTAWA - Liberal House leader Mark Holland said Monday the government intends to collaborate with any party willing to make the minority Parliament work.
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