Jagmeet Singh Wants Trudeau To Sort Out Paid Sick Leave & A CERB Extension
With just one day to go until Trudeau’s throne speech, Jagmeet Singh has laid out his conditions. The NDP leader is calling on the prime minister to introduce paid sick leave and a CERB extension in Canada. If Trudeau does this, Singh says he’ll have the NDP’s support.
On September 23, when Parliament reconvenes, Prime Minister Trudeau's throne speech will be delivered.
To avoid a possible no-confidence vote and a potential federal election in the fall, he will require the support of at least one other party.
Speaking a day ahead of the speech, Singh said his party is willing to back the PM as long as he promises two things.
“If the government puts forward legislation, makes it clear they're going to do these two things – extend CERB and put in place paid sick leave for all Canadians – we will support that," he said on Tuesday.
Editor's Choice: Canadian Resident Who Allegedly Sent Poison To Trump Says She Mailed More Letters
Singh’s demand for a CERB extension comes as the benefit is scheduled to end this month.
This week, the Canada Revenue Agency urged those who need the financial aid to apply ASAP, as the program is scheduled to end on September 26.
The NDP leader has also been calling for paid sick leave throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that people who are unwell should not go unpaid if they need to take time off work.
Despite promising his support to Trudeau, with said conditions, Singh has been fiercely critical of the PM in recent weeks.
Just last week, he blasted him for “playing politics” instead of fighting climate change and accused him of allowing a U.S. billionaire to enter Canada without quarantining.
One day before the throne speech, Singh tweeted that Trudeau was “leaving people worried & afraid until the last minute” by not extending the CERB.
Despite the many differences between the two, the prime minister will be relying on the NDP's support come Wednesday.
Without that, or confidence from another party, he could face a federal election in the fall.
No pressure!