NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is currently touring Atlantic Canada in an effort to draw attention to affordability issues and win two Liberal seats in the next federal election. Singh believes that voters who are struggling with the rising cost of living are dissatisfied with the federal government and sees his party as the true advocate for working-class Canadians. The NDP has already achieved wins in affordability initiatives, such as dental care, rental supplements, and doubling the GST rebate, through their confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals.
Singh stated that while the party is making a real difference, he wants to have a more direct role in decision-making to ensure that working people’s interests are prioritized. The NDP is primarily targeting St. John’s East in Newfoundland and Halifax, which are considered easier seats to reclaim due to historical voting patterns. However, Lori Turnbull, a political science professor, believes that Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan in St. John’s South-Mount Pearl is unlikely to be unseated. Despite the Atlantic region being a Liberal stronghold, increasing frustrations related to the cost of living, the housing crisis, and an aging population struggling on fixed incomes are creating dissatisfaction.
Both Singh and Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre have been touring the region over the summer, aiming to propose ideas to improve affordability for Atlantic Canadians. Poilievre has criticized the Liberal government’s clean fuel regulations, which are anticipated to raise gas prices by 6 to 13% by 2030. Singh, on the other hand, has reminded people of the resistance campaign led by former Progressive Conservative premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Danny Williams, against the federal Tories during the 2015 campaign.
The challenge for Singh and the NDP will be to remind voters of the Harper conservatism and Poilievre’s association with it. They want to highlight the achievements made through their confidence-and-supply agreement and emphasize the potential for more if given a greater role in decision-making. Every seat will matter in the upcoming federal election, as all parties argue that the Liberals are not adequately addressing the nation’s needs. There is no clear sense of momentum for any political party in the country at this time.