Singh unwilling to stand up to Trudeau as he spits on parties' pact | National Post

>The federal NDP's confidence-and-supply deal with the Liberals was always a dubious venture — propping up an exceptionally unpopular government for any length of time, let alone for over three years, typically doesn't endear voters to one's side.

>While Jagmeet Singh's NDP should be merrily capitalizing on the current economic environment with their eyes closed, the party is instead bleeding support from key demographics to Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives. Even a Liberal slump of epic proportions, particularly among younger voters, hasn't been enough to breathe life into a party that increasingly resembles a paper straw disintegrating into a useless, soggy mess

>The two most significant priorities in the agreement are dental care for low-income Canadians and a “universal national pharmacare program.” To date, neither have materialized as promised.

>The dental care program is, so far, less of a program and more of a stop-gap measure that simply hands money to low-income families. A permanent plan was meant to be implemented by 2025, with the rollout beginning by the end of this year. But with a month left to go in 2023, details are still scarce.

>Pharmacare is even more elusive. After a noted absence in the Liberals' 2023 budget, it was still expected to be tabled by year's end. But, earlier this week, news broke that the NDP is willing to extend that deadline. Shortly thereafter, the Liberals confirmed they won't be presenting, let alone passing, pharmacare legislation before the calendar turns.

>As 2023 comes to a close, those who still back Singh must have a hard think about whether the NDP has a viable future under his leadership. If Singh himself had any sense at all, he'd be dangling the deal over a shredder, ready to drop when the New Year's ball does if there's still no pharmacare plan.

>Doing so would still be a step removed from actually forcing an election, but it would at least extricate his party from the jaws of the Liberal behemoth before it's consumed whole, never to be seen again.

At least Notley won an election.