Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Tuesday, 22 March, that his party, the Liberal Party, had struck a deal with the federal New Democratic Party (NDP) to ensure smooth governance till the year 2025.
Trudeau justified the deal by saying that it will provide "stability" and "results" to Canadians "during this uncertain time."
"Today, I am announcing that the Liberal Party has reached an agreement with the New Democratic Party to deliver results for Canadians now," he said during a press conference on Tuesday.
He added that "this supply and confidence agreement starts today and will be in place until the end of this Parliament in 2025. What this means is that during this uncertain time, the government can function with predictability and stability, present and implement budgets and get things done for Canadians," The Globe and Mail reported.
Claiming that he had thought "long and hard" about this move, the prime minister asserted that the decision was not an easy one.
Jagmeet Singh, the leader and the popular face of the NDP, commented on the deal after Trudeau's press conference, and claimed that it was "not a destination, but a starting point."
“This is not at all a carte blanche. We're going into this eyes-wide-open… if they fall short on what we’ve agreed to, the deal doesn't continue," he said, as quoted by Global News.
It is important to not confuse a "deal" with a "coalition." The Liberal-NDP is not a coalition, something that exists when political parties share power to form the government.
In this case, the NDP remains in the Opposition but has agreed to support the Trudeau government's bills.
Therefore, in this case, a "supply and confidence" deal means that one party will support another in confidence votes for a certain duration.
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