Despite the newly-announced deal between the NDP and the Liberals to keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in power until 2025, the legacy media had mocked the Conservatives in November for suggesting such a plan was even in the works.
Late last fall, the Conservatives and then-leader Erin O’Toole were ridiculed for claiming there was a brewing Liberal-NDP agreement that would secure Trudeau’s hold on power for a full term despite his minority government status.
Last night, the Conservatives were vindicated after it was reported that an official pact had been reached between Trudeau and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh to prop up the Liberals for the next three years.
Trudeau confirmed the reports on Tuesday, saying he had reached a “confidence and supply agreement” with the NDP which would see the party support them during confidence votes in return for key policy commitments.
Back in 2021, commentators at outlets including the CBC, Global News and the Toronto Star had all dismissed the notion that such a pact existed or was going to be reached.
Toronto Star columnist Althia Raj called the Liberal-NDP alliance “imaginary” and a ploy by O’Toole to cover up his own problems.
“First, there is no Liberal-NDP coalition. O’Toole may wish for one, but there is no evidence a formal arrangement — such as what we saw in 2008 — is being contemplated,” wrote Raj. “So while both parties are willing to talk, what those talks lead to will be very different than the coalition bogeyman O’Toole is painting for Canadians.”
Commentator Randy Boswell wrote in Global News that O’Toole was “scaremongering about the unholy alliance” of a radical Liberal-NDP deal.
“To be clear, there is no coalition being formed. And there’s nothing radical about the re-elected Liberal government, as it plans its legislative agenda in a minority Parliament, comparing notes with the NDP — a party that holds the balance of power in the House (that’s just math) and which everyone knows shares a number of key policy planks with Trudeau’s left-leaning cabinet and caucus,” wrote Boswell.
Meanwhile, CBC’s Aaron Wherry stated that a Liberal-NDP deal was just “rumours” and that “no negotiations” were happening to reach a confidence and supply agreement.
“But no such confidence and supply accord exists between the federal Liberals and NDP — not yet, at least. Though there are reports of loose chatter between Liberal and NDP officials, sources in both parties say there is no actual proposal on the table and no negotiations are happening,” wrote Wherry.
CBC journalist Katie Simpson also parroted claims by Singh that O’Toole was “making stuff up” about a looming Liberal-NDP deal.
