VICTORIA – NDP leader Jagmeet Singh continues his political “double game”, dividing himself between the role of “crutch” of Justin Trudeau’s government and “fierce opponent” (but only apparently) of the same executive. Yet another act of the comedy featuring Jagmeet Singh as the leading actor in the political theater was performed on Sunday in Victoria, British Columbia.  

“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has lost touch with the struggles of Canadians” the federal New Democrat leader said Sunday – according to The Canadian Press – during a speech to more than 700 delegates attending British Columbia’s NDP convention. “Trudeau doesn’t understand what Canadians are going through with the high costs of living” Singh added. “I have seen Trudeau’s government up close” said Singh, whose New Democrats have in fact entered into a trust agreement with the minority Liberal government which they continue to support. Without their support for Trudeau, we would immediately go to elections with dramatic results for both the Liberals and the NDP, as all the latest polls show.

“I shouldn’t be mean, but one of our MPs described working with the Liberals as fighting eels in oil” Singh continued. “The Liberals spend much of their time trying to distance themselves from problems rather than address them directly and Trudeau is out of touch with the Liberals” the NDP leader added. “The reason is that Trudeau doesn’t understand what people are going through. He only acts when he has to, or when his political future is at stake”.

Poilievre, meanwhile, says — according to Singh — he wants to help ordinary Canadians address affordability challenges, but the Conservatives are known for imposing cuts to public services, Singh told Victoria’s provincial delegates. “With Pierre Poilievre, it’s all an act” he said. “He would make life a lot harder for people. He claims to care about workers, but you never see Pierre Poilievre hire rich CEOs”.

Singh added that his New Democrats are pushing the Liberal government to introduce a dental care coverage program for all Canadians this year and will continue to fight for a universal “Pharmacare” program that covers prescription costs for all. “I can promise you that we will continue to fight to the end to achieve the best possible outcomes for people as long as we have this position of power in this minority government”. But it’s not a “fun fight” Singh added. “We fight every day against establishment liberals and corporate conservatives”.

Meanwhile, Premier David Eby told delegates on Saturday that his NDP provincial government will focus on building more affordable homes and fighting climate change. The provincial government’s efforts to meet environmental goals will involve maintaining a provincial carbon pricing program, Eby said. As well known, the conservative opposition promises to eliminate British Columbia’s carbon tax if it wins the next election. Another minefield for Singh, therefore, who supports Trudeau who, as also well known, made a mess of the suspension of the carbon tax, “freezing” the tax only for some areas of Canada.

Finally, on Sunday, delegates overwhelmingly approved an emergency resolution titled “Saving Lives in Gaza and Israel”: the NDP will call on the federal government to support an immediate ceasefire in the conflict gripping the Middle East. The party also calls for the immediate release of all hostages taken by Hamas militants on October 7 and calls on Ottawa to support urgent access to humanitarian aid in Gaza and for the federal and provincial governments to welcome refugees displaced from the region. The party will also “stand in solidarity with all Israelis and Palestinians who want to live free from fear, oppression and violence”. Meanwhile, while the NDP convention was underway, outside the hall about a hundred demonstrators shouted “Free Palestine”, while some lay silently on the ground covered by white sheets stained with red.

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In the pic above, Jagmeet Singh in a screenshot taken from a video published on his Twitter – X (@theJagmeetSingh)