Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh says he will vote down the Liberals in March, triggering a spring election.
Meanwhile, Parliament is suspended by Justin Trudeau through prorogation while Liberals find a new leader — possibly Mark Carney — to run in the election. Prorogation is scheduled to end on March 24.
Singh has indicated he may prop up the Liberals to pass tariff bailout legislation in the event President Donald Trump harms the Canadian economy, and workers, with tariffs.
"While the Liberals seem more focused on themselves, I have a specific message to Liberals. If you're serious about supporting workers, I'm demanding that the Liberal government call back Parliament," said Singh on Thursday.
"Let's put before Parliament a package that will protect workers. Let's pass legislation that supports workers, because we're going to have an election in the spring. Nothing changes around that. We are going to be voting down the government in March, but there's still two months."
Singh qualifies for a parliamentary pension on February 25 — marking six years from when he was first elected in a byelection.
He added, "The Liberals think that they can wait two months before they bring in legislation. They are wrong. That would allow workers to suffer for two months. That is not the right way to do things."
It is said Singh is polling third in his own riding of Burnaby South, putting him at a significant disadvantage when an election is called.
Historically, prorogation has been used strategically by prime ministers to manage political situations, reset legislative agendas, or avoid confidence votes.
While there's no fixed limit to how long prorogation can last, it is typically not extended indefinitely.
