Trudeau’s Hold On Power Slips After Collapse of Liberal Party Agreement

Canada|Trudeau’s Hold on Power Slips After Collapse of Governing Agreement

The Liberal Party led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada may face an election earlier than expected after a left-leaning political party announced on Wednesday the end of an agreement that propped up the Liberals in Parliament.

Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic Party, said in a video that he was “tearing up” a formal agreement to support the Liberal Party. Without that support, Mr. Trudeau’s party lacks a majority of votes needed to pass legislation in the House of Commons.

Mr. Singh agreed to the pact, which was scheduled to expire in June 2025, more than two years ago in exchange for Mr. Trudeau prioritizing various issues, including laying the ground work for a national pharamacare program, or publicly funded system for prescription drugs.

“Justin Trudeau has proven again and again he will always cave to corporate greed,” Mr. Singh said on Wednesday. “The Liberals have let people down. They don’t deserve another chance from Canadians.”

The move will not force an immediate election, but it removes the stability that came from an agreement that effectively allowed Mr. Trudeau to act as if he controlled as majority in the House of Commons.

A new general election as required by the country’s Constitution must take place by October 2025.

In theory, Mr. Trudeau’s government could fall at any point following the return of Parliament from its summer break on Sept. 16.

Tensions rose recently between the Liberals and the New Democrats over Mr. Trudeau’s decision to force the end of a lockout of striking railway workers and to require binding arbitration to settle it.

For months, Mr. Trudeau’s Liberals have lagged by double digits behind the Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre, in all public opinion polls, while the New Democrats remained in third place.

The agreement was not a formal coalition that brought New Democratic members of Parliament into Mr. Trudeau’ s cabinet or otherwise involved them directly in governing.

But Mr. Poilievre has consistently, if inaccurately, described it as such. And as Mr. Trudeau’s poll standings has sunk, the Conservative leader has repeatedly linked Mr. Singh politically to the prime minister. In a social media post on Wednesday, he referred to the leader of the New Democrats as “Sellout Singh.”

Last week, Mr. Poilievre called on Mr. Singh to end his agreement with the government and join the Conservatives to force an election this fall. He criticized Mr. Singh on Wednesday for not committing to a vote to bring down the government.

On Wednesday, Mr. Singh was as negative about Mr. Poilievre as he was about Mr. Trudeau, saying that he was ending the agreement to focus on campaigning against the Conservatives.

Speaking in Newfoundland, Mr. Trudeau told reporters that he will continue to push his government’s agenda in Parliament.

“I really hope the N.D.P. really stays focused on how we can deliver for Canadians,” Mr. Trudeau said. “I’m focused on Canadians. I’ll let the other parties focus on politics.”