OTTAWA — NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is calling on his caucus to crank up the heat on the Trudeau Liberals in the final months leading up to the next election.
Singh, who spoke to his caucus for the first time Wednesday morning since winning a seat in the riding of Burnaby South, spun a message that the NDP is a party focused on people while the Liberals side with big companies.
He says Canadians gave Justin Trudeau a chance but he says the prime minister is too busy "doing favours for corporate friends," alluding to the controversy involving the government and Montreal engineering giant SNC-Lavalin.
Since becoming leader of his party in October 2017, Singh has faced external and internal questions about his effectiveness as the NDP's popular support and fundraising have slid.
Members of his caucus, however, were repeatedly up on their feet in celebration of Singh during the part of Wednesday's meeting opened up to media.
As the first racialized person to become a federal party leader, Singh says he didn't imagine that someone like him could ever run to be prime minister, adding his win sends a message to many Canadian kids that they could, too.