NDP leader doubles down on pledge to force a spring election

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks to journalists after a caucus meeting in the Parliamentary Precinct in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

OTTAWA — NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh vowed Thursday to force a spring election at the end of March, when Parliament is scheduled to return.

But even as he doubled down on his pledge to help topple the Liberal government, Singh called on that government to recall Parliament early to work on legislation to prepare for a possible tariff war with the United States.

“We will be voting against the government at the end of March,” Singh said at a press conference in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. He repeated that line several times when pressed by journalists on the tight timeline.

Singh has been calling for Parliament to reconvene early to rush through supports for workers who would be affected by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threatened 25 per cent tariffs.

“We will be voting against the government and there will be an election in the spring,” he said. “But before that time, there will be two months. Is the Liberal government proposing that we do nothing for two months?”

All three main opposition parties have said they intend to bring down the government in a confidence vote at the earliest opportunity. Parliament is currently prorogued until March 24 as the Liberals choose a new leader to replace outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, whose party continues to lead in national polls, has also demanded that Parliament return immediately as Canada faces down Trump’s threats.

Singh stood with union leaders and unionized steelworkers Thursday morning to announce an NDP “Buy Canadian” policy to respond to Trump’s threat of economically damaging tariffs.

Singh said Canada should overhaul its procurement rules and bar American companies from all federal government procurement contracts if Trump follows through on his tariff threat.

“We need to make sure that we’re favouring Canadian companies that produce the things that we need in our own country,” Singh said.

Just before the 2019 election, Singh called for changes to federal procurement rules to force the government to buy more of what it needs from Canadian firms.

Liberal leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland also pitched a “Buy Canadian” plan earlier this week. She said Ottawa should bar Americans from non-defence related government procurement contracts in response to Trump’s tariffs.

Singh’s policy would bar American firms from bidding on Canadian defence contracts as well — although a party spokesperson said exemptions could be made for items that aren’t built in Canada.

Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary Howard Lutnick told a Senate hearing on Wednesday that Canada could face emergency tariffs at first, with the prospect of more to come down the road.

Trump threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico as early as Feb. 1 if they don’t step up border security. That led the Liberal government to quickly produce a $1.3 billion border security plan.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2025.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press