OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday announced an alliance with a left-of-center opposition party that will give him the secure hold on power that eluded him in last year’s election.
Mr. Trudeau said he has formally agreed to advance issues important to that opposition party, the New Democrats, in exchange for its continued support of his Liberal Party in the House of Commons until 2025.
“This agreement is not about compromising the core beliefs of either of our parties or denying the differences between us,” Mr. Trudeau said at a news conference. “What it is about is making sure that those differences don’t stand in the way of delivering for Canadians.”
In the election last fall, Mr. Trudeau failed to get a majority of seats in the House of Commons for the second consecutive time. As a result, he has had to rely on the ad hoc support of opposition parties to pass legislation — leaving open the prospect that his government could fall at any moment.
“It was not an easy decision,” Mr. Trudeau said. “With so much instability around us, Canadians need stability.”
As a result of the agreement with the New Democrats, Mr. Trudeau said that the government will work toward adding drug and dental care to the public health system, further develop a national day-care program and advance affordable housing plans promoted by the New Democrats. He also repeated previous climate change promises and affirmed support for Indigenous causes.
