NDP Interim Leader Don Davies is appealing to Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney to skirt Parliament rules and grant the NDP official party status after the party suffered a devastating loss in the recent election.
According to the Canadian Press, Davies is engaged in “very early” discussions with Prime Minister Mark Carney, asking for official party status despite rules clearly stating that the party does not qualify.
To hold official party status in the House of Commons, a registered party must have elected at least 12 Members of Parliament. The NDP lost 17 seats and ended up with just seven MPs, meaning it lost its official status for the first time since 1993.
This loss came after Singh admitted that he had not triggered an election while partnered with former prime minister Justin Trudeau to prevent the Conservatives from making significant gains. Conservatives still posit that “sell-out Singh” delayed the election to secure his potentially $2 million pension.
Without official status, party members are granted fewer questions during question periods, debates and motions and are not guaranteed seats in parliamentary committees. The party also receives less staffing and research funding from Parliament resources.
Neither Davies nor the Prime Minister’s Office responded to True North’s requests for comment.
“I think one of my primary objectives is to make sure that our caucus has the resources we need to discharge our functions in Parliament, but more importantly, to advocate effectively for the 1.2 million Canadians who voted for us,” Davies reportedly told the Canadian Press Friday. “So, we are actively working to try to make sure we get those resources for our caucus.”
Davies argues that on a provincial level, parties have been granted official party status despite failing to meet the threshold.
The report states that Davies is worried his party will have to “engage civil society” to help with funding, as the loss and the lead-up to the NDP collapse have devastated the party’s coffers.
Davies reportedly said the party is beginning a review of its election campaign and its plan to rebuild while setting up a framework to hold a leadership contest.
In a Wednesday news release, the NDP stated it was attempting to reconnect to its roots of being “by and for working people.”
“We need to take a hard look at how we got to where we are, and we need a clear view of where we’re going,” Davies said in the news release. “We need to reconnect with working people and show them that the NDP is their party, the one that fights and delivers for them.”