Wednesday December 10, 2025 | OTTAWA, ON [Posted in VICTORIA | 12:21 pm PT]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
“Carney needs to realize he’s in a minority parliament,” said NDP Leader Don Davies in a year-end media scrum at the House of Commons today.
“Lack of legislative progress” is clear evidence of that, according to Davies. “This parliament is still trying to find its feet,” the NDP leader said.
The Liberals have been “slow to realize they don’t have a majority”, said Davies, referring to how there’s been no evident efforts to reach across party lines for official support on legislation or votes.
This seems understandable on the part of Prime Minister Mark Carney who from day one of his leadership has been working hard to insert space between his ‘new’ Liberal government and the previous one led by Justin Trudeau.
Right of centre Liberal government:
Davies describes the current Carney Liberal government as “right of centre”, adding there is “not an ounce of progressive instinct”.
“Not rolling back health care is centrist at best,” is one descriptive example that Davies offered today.
NDP going forward:
“I haven’t given up on this Parliament,” says Davies, who is interim leader for the NDP.
The party’s leadership race has slowly begun but will gain more traction in the new year toward a conclusion March 27-29 at the party’s convention in Winnipeg.
“I’m a Jack Layton New Democrat,” said Davies today. “The number one priority is to make parliament work for Canadians,” he said today (and has often said in the past), not to “fight or play games” as has been witnessed in the House of Commons this week.
Without official party status (12 seats required for that, and the NDP has only seven) the NDP does not participate in House of Commons committees. This puts their goals and objectives at a disadvantage as the Conservatives and Bloc MPs set up blocks on committees, says Davies.
Next federal election:
Davies days he could expect an election in 2026 but that the NDP will remain forcused on representing working Canadians in parliament in the new year.
Two BC NDP cabinet ministers in Ottawa today:
Today two senior BC NDP cabinet ministers were in Ottawa to meet with NDP Leader Davies. Both Ravi Kahlon (Jobs and Economic Growth Minister) and Brenda Bailey (Finance Minister) had private meetings with Davies today.
BC has been a source of many good ideas that that Liberals have picked up over the past year including in housing (Build Canada Homes is a flavour of BC Builds) and BC has been the first province to include Pharmacare (starting with diabetes and contraception) in universal health coverage.
BC Finance Minister Bailey earlier this week met with the annual Economic Forecast Council (bankers and economists) who advise the BC government on the economy for the upcoming year.
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NEWS SECTIONS: FEDERAL NDP | 45th PARLIAMENT OF CANADA | CHRISTMAS YEAR-END SEASON