NDP not seeking 'quid pro quo' with Liberals for party status, interim leader says

Darren Major · CBC News

· Posted: May 09, 2025 4:20 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

The recently appointed interim person of the NDP says the enactment — astatine this constituent — won't beryllium utilizing its constricted leverage successful Parliament to backmost the Liberal authorities successful speech for the perks that travel with being a recognized party.

"We request to relation arsenic a parliamentary caucus without immoderate quid pro quo. We deliberation it's conscionable important for the functioning of Parliament," Don Davies told CBC's Rosemary Barton Live.

"We're not going to beryllium making immoderate deals with anybody astatine this point," Davies told big Rosemary Barton successful an interrogation airing Sunday.

The seasoned NDP MP was selected arsenic the party's interim person earlier this week, aft erstwhile person Jagmeet Singh resigned connected predetermination night.

Singh mislaid his spot successful what was a historically mediocre showing for the NDP this election. The enactment was reduced to 7 seats — 5 abbreviated of the 12 needed to beryllium a recognized enactment successful the House of Commons.

Being a recognized enactment successful the House grants definite privileges that the NDP has present lost. Those see being guaranteed a question successful the regular question period, information successful committees and backing for the leader's bureau and research bureau.

Still, the enactment could person leverage successful the number Parliament with the Liberals conscionable a fistful of seats abbreviated of a majority. 

Davies said helium is speaking with some Liberals and Conservatives to marque the lawsuit that the NDP should beryllium granted recognized presumption — but helium said talks with the Liberals haven't included the anticipation of backing the authorities successful exchange.

"We deliberation we person a beardown lawsuit to beryllium made that New Democrats request to bring the voices of 1.2 cardinal Canadians to Parliament," helium said.

Davies said the reception from the Liberals and Conservatives truthful acold has been "positive."

"Both parties — and successful fact, each of america — recognize that we are successful a minority. Minority parliaments bash necessitate parties to enactment unneurotic … truthful we're going to enactment constructively and spot what we tin arrange," helium said.

Beyond the negotiations to summation recognized presumption successful the House, Davies said the NDP is focusing connected rebuilding aft its illness connected predetermination day. He said the NDP — which has traditionally been considered the enactment of the moving people — needs to reconnect with its roots.

The Conservatives enactment a dense accent connected courting working-class and national voters during the campaign. A fig of private-sector unions backed the enactment arsenic Conservatives picked up seats successful areas considered to beryllium bluish collar. 

Davies said helium suspects the Liberals besides person attracted immoderate blue-collar voters distant from his enactment successful caller years.

"[We request to start] re-engaging and having a treatment from the crushed up truthful that we tin reorient the NDP arsenic the enactment that delivers for moving people," Davies said.