MNI BRIEF: Canada NDP Taking Confidence Votes Case By Case

MNI (OTTAWA) - The Canadian opposition party leader who just ended a deal propping up Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority government said Thursday he will decide future confidence votes on a case-by-case basis and that stance makes an early election more likely.

“We are ready to fight an election whenever that happens," Jagmeet Singh of the NDP told reporters the day after he ended the agreement that had been due to run until the middle of next year. Singh also said he ended the deal because Liberals are no longer delivering enough to Canadians, suggesting there may be room for him to support a fiscal update due this fall if his priorities are included.

Liberals can still pass confidence votes with some support from the Bloc Quebecois, though it’s tricky since it’s a party that wants the French-speaking province to separate from Canada. Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre have a double-digit lead in polls ahead of an election due around the fall of next year and have a big fundraising advantage. Trudeau has faced some pressure from his own party to step aide that he has rejected. (See: MNI INTERVIEW: Weak Growth, Election Dent Canada Fiscal Anchor)