What is the Liberal/NDP deal?

The federal Conservatives are questioning the legitimacy of a deal struck between the Liberals and NDP that would see the latter prop up the minority government until 2025.

However, experts insist this type of agreement is an option under Canada’s parliamentary system, saying it’s nothing new and that there have been similar instances in the past.

“We’ve had this sort of maybe less formal agreement in the past, when we had minority governments in the 1960s. It was entirely common for various understandings to exist between different parties, that they would support each other if they didn’t have enough votes to pull it off,” explained York University political scientist Dennis Pilon.

He points to a formal coalition between the Liberals and Conservatives in B.C. during the 1940s, as well as a supply and confidence agreement between the BC NDP and Greens more recently, as examples of these types of deals playing out.

Though this type of agreement isn’t new to Canada, University of Toronto political scientist Andrew McDougall notes it’s not very common.

“There aren’t a huge number of examples of this,” he said.

Conservatives critical of deal

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that a supply and confidence agreement with the New Democrats would be in effect immediately and last until the next election is set to be held.

Trudeau said the deal will provide Canadians with stability and give his government the opportunity to follow through on its commitments to voters. However, Interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen was quick to condemn the move, calling it a desperate attempt by Trudeau to remain in power at all costs.

“This deal means that Canadians have woken up to, in essence, an NDP-Liberal majority government,” she said, adding, “These Canadians have woken up to the fact that they have been hoodwinked.”

However, Pilon questions Bergen’s response.

“I find it weird to see the Conservatives call out this idea of a deal between the NDP and Liberals as something undemocratic or not on in terms of being proper,” Pilon explained, adding we also see similar instances in other countries, more so those with “open and competitive voting systems.”

Read more: Trudeau confirms agreement with NDP to keep Liberals in power until 2025

“When you don’t have enough votes, then you make a deal with somebody else to see that the things that you both want to happen can be passed,” he told CityNews.

“I don’t understand what the complaint is. Unless the complaint is ‘I don’t like democracy, I would prefer that a group with fewer votes be able to run the show.’ I mean, this makes no sense, unless, of course, they object to the specific content of the deal — that’s different,” he said.

Pilon calls the Conservative reaction a “very partisan response,” telling CityNews the Tories are currently isolated.

As a strategic move, he says this makes sense.

“The Conservatives are in a tough spot because they’ve kind of made it hard for them to play well with others. They’ve taken up a kind of scorched-earth approach to politics, which means it’s very difficult to them to reach out to other parties and work with them effectively,” explained Pilon.

McDougall agrees.

“It’s the regular partisanship stuff and this is going to be very easy for the Conservatives to attack,” McDougall said. “This is going to sort of limit their ability to bring down the Liberals when they want to, for example. But this is, I think in many ways, not an entirely unwelcomed development for the Conservatives right now.”

He notes the Tories are currently in a period of transition, searching for a new leader. With this search ongoing, they wouldn’t be able to “really fight an election right now, anyway,” he added.

The prime minister said Tuesday the agreement will allow both parties to prioritize shared values and include action on areas such as dental care, climate change, housing, and paid sick leave.

The NDP leader has added the deal will fall apart if Trudeau and his government fall short on the conditions laid out.

Liberal-NDP deal ‘unexpected’, says political scientist

McDougall says the deal was a “little unexpected.”

“I don’t think anybody saw this coming at the beginning of the week,” explained McDougall. “I think it’s got opportunities and risks for both parties.”

He says the deal appears to be more risky for the New Democrats, whom he believes are trying to demonstrate some of their values and what they could look like as a government.

“But now they’re kind of stuck with the Liberals,” added McDougall, who says if things “go south” for Trudeau’s Liberals, the NDP will be alongside them.

However, this deal gives the NDP an opportunity to push policies it’s been passionate about.

McDougall says this agreement also gives the Conservatives an opportunity to “paint the NDP as really being no different than the Liberals.”

“There are real opportunities I think here for the Conservatives with this and the fact that this is coming while they’re still looking for a leader is maybe not the worst thing from their perspective,” he added.

-With files from Michael Ranger