VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The leader of Canada’s leftist New Democratic Party said Thursday that policies supported by liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre hurt Canadians, although he didn’t say if he was willing to trigger a snap federal election soon.
Jagmeet Singh had said a day earlier in a video posted on social media that he had “ripped up” a key agreement with Trudeau’s Liberal government, that helped keep the minority government in power.
During a news conference in Toronto on Thursday, Singh acknowledged that his surprise decision to pull support from the supply and confidence agreement could move up the date of Canada's next general election, expected to be held in October 2025.
“I ripped up the supply and confidence agreement with Justin Trudeau, and we know that makes the election timing more uncertain,” Singh said.
Singh declined to provide a specific timeline about when he could vote against the Liberals in a no-confidence vote.
“I will look at any vote that comes before us and we will make a decision in the best interests of Canadians, as any minority government normally operates,” he said.
The Liberals currently have 154 seats in the 338 Canadian House of Commons. The Conservates hold 119 and the NDP 24. The Bloc Québécois, a party based only in Quebec and devoted to Quebec sovereignty, has 32 seats.
Singh and Trudeau reached the supply and confidence agreement in March 2022, committing the Liberals to implement several NDP priorities such as dental care and pharmacare in exchange for the NDP caucus supporting the Liberals on key votes.
Sanjay Jeram, a political science professor at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., said the agreement always “had more bark than bite” and didn’t give the NDP any official representation in the federal government, like some coalitions in other countries.
Most polls show the Conservatives well ahead of the Liberals with the NDP sitting third, making it difficult to see what the New Democrats could gain from a quick election.
“Where the polls are now, there is no realistic option of them forming government,” said Jeram. “It’s hard to really understand what they’re aiming for," he said, adding, "Do they want to become the official opposition?”
Jeram said there may be concerns in the party that the Conservatives have been trying to appeal to working class voters, which could drain away support from the centre-left NDP. An early election may halt this erosion of support.
Libby Davies, who spent 18 years as an NDP member of Parliament, said ending the agreement puts pressure on the Liberals.
“Will it increase the likelihood of an election sooner? That’s part of the risk,” said Davies. “It’s the tension of a potential election that keeps the Liberals on their toes and allows the NDP to have a lot more leverage.”
With the Liberals trailing badly in the polls, and Trudeau very unpopular, she doubts they want an election.
“I don’t think they want an election right now,” she said. “It really puts the pressure on the Liberals to decide; are they going to listen to whatever demands come from the NDP?”
In a campaign style speech, Singh criticized both Trudeau and Poilievre.
“Justin Trudeau has let Canadians down,” said Singh. “Trudeau’s Liberals can’t deliver change. They are too weak and too selfish to stop Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives."
As for the Conservatives, Singh accused them of wanting to reduce health care benefits and encourage corporate greed.
“Conservative cuts would take things from bad to worse,” he said.
He pitched the NDP as the party of hope.
“There’s a battle ahead of us, the fight for the Canda of our dreams,” said Singh. “The fight to restore hope and the promise that working hard gets you a good life.”
Davies, the former member of parliament, said if the NDP forces an early election they must explain their reasoning.
“Mr. Singh needs to present an NDP vision and what that looks like for the country," she said. “The longer he (was) tied to that agreement, the harder it is in some ways because all the good things that happened, the Liberals will take credit for.”
FILE - New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh points to his turban as he speaks about racism during a speech in London, Ontario, June 8, 2021. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — A second apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump — this time as he played golf in Florida — has rocked a presidential campaign already marred by unprecedented violence and raised questions about how such a thing could have happened for the second time in as many months.
U.S. Secret Service agents opened fire Sunday afternoon on a man who was spotted pointing an AK-style rifle through a fence while hiding in the bushes as Trump golfed at his club in West Palm Beach. The FBI described it as an apparent attempted assassination on the GOP nominee.
At a Pennsylvania rally in July, Trump was grazed in the ear by a bullet when a gunman was able to gain access to an unsecured roof, unleashing a hail of bullets that left one of Trump's supporters dead and two others badly injured.
While the Secret Service has grappled with how to keep Trump safe as he campaigns across the country, holding rallies that often draw thousands, less attention has focused on his protection when he is off the trail, often at his own clubs and properties.
The fact that there are places along the perimeter of the property where golfers — including Trump — are visible to those standing behind the fence has long been known to law enforcement. While Trump was president, news photographers were often able to capture images of him on the greens by finding gaps in the shrubbery.
While Trump’s plans to golf Sunday were not part of any public schedule, on days he is not campaigning, he can often be found golfing at one of his courses. Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach, about a 10-minute drive from his Mar-a-Lago residence, is a favorite. One of three golf clubs he owns in Florida, it boasts 27 holes of championship golf, as well as event spaces. Trump often eats lunch and holds meetings in the clubhouse between rounds.
Trump had just returned from a West Coast swing that included stops in Las Vegas and Utah, and had announced on social media that he would be delivering remarks Monday from Mar-a-Lago about cryptocurrency as he launches a new crypto platform.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw noted at a briefing that because Trump is no longer in office, security protocols around the course had loosened.
“He's not the sitting president. If he was, we would have had this entire golf course surrounded. But because he's not, his security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible," he told reporters.
Law enforcement officials praised the work of the agents assigned to protect Trump. One agent, tasked with jumping one hole ahead of the former president to scope out potential threats, managed to spot the gunman's rifle barrel sticking out of the fence that surrounds the golf club and “immediately engaged that individual,” Bradshaw said.
In an email to campaign staff Sunday night, senior campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles credited the Secret Service for saving Trump, who has praised the agents in his own protective detail for their bravery as they rushed on stage to protect him in Butler, Pennsylvania.
"President Trump and everyone accompanying him are safe thanks to the great work of the United States Secret Service,” they wrote.
Unlike other past presidents and typical VIPs who live in private residences with tall fences or in gated communities, Trump has his official residence at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach. The club is open to dues-paying members, who mingle with the former president at meals and at events and can invite their own guests to the property.
Many nights, Trump holds court on the club's patio, playing DJ with his iPad. While president, he once plotted a response to a North Korean missile launch from the candlelit terrace, the meeting captured and posted on social media by a club member.
The club is also a popular Palm Beach venue and hosts a constant stream of fundraisers, weddings and other events that sometimes see Trump drop by unannounced.
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a social media post that the agency is working closely with the FBI, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement to investigate what happened.
Trump will be briefed in person Monday by acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe about the investigation, according to a person familiar with the plan who was not authorized to speak publicly.
The incident sparked immediate finger-pointing and calls for answers on Capitol Hill.
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, the House Republican Conference chair and a close ally of the former president, said she was grateful Trump was safe. “However, we must ask ourselves how an assassin was allowed to get this close to President Trump again?” she asked in a statement.
The leaders of the bipartisan task force that has been investigating the security failures in Pennsylvania said they were monitoring the situation and had requested a briefing from the Secret Service.
“We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms,” said Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., in a joint statement.
Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of Trump's rivals in the GOP primary, said his state will conduct its own investigation.
“The people deserve the truth about the would be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee,” he wrote in a social media post.
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna echoed that message. “Two assassination attempts in 60 days on a former President & the Republican nominee is unacceptable," he wrote. "The Secret Service must come to Congress tomorrow, tell us what resources are needed to expand the protective perimeter, & lets allocate it in a bipartisan vote the same day.”
President Joe Biden said in a statement that he was “relieved” that Trump was unharmed and said “there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country.” He said he had directed his staff “to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety.”
Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report.
Photos that show an AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, are displayed during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library, Sunday. Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephany Matat)
This photo provided by the Martin County Sheriff's Office shows Sheriff's vehicles surrounding an SUV on the northbound I-95 in Martin County on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)
The main entrance of Trump International Golf Club is seen after police closed off the area following the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at the World Market Center, Friday, Sept.13, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
