Canada minority party signals willingness to work with PM Trudeau

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The leader of Canada’s opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), Jagmeet Singh, said on Thursday he hoped to work constructively with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority Liberal government on issues including a universal prescription drug plan. Singh’s comments, after he met with Trudeau, were the strongest indication yet that his left-leaning party would help keep the prime minister in power. The Liberals lost their majority in last month’s election and need the support of other parties to govern. “I am hopeful after the meeting that there is an opportunity for us to work together,” Singh told reporters. “I want to find ways where we move forward constructively.” The Liberals and the left-leaning NDP together hold 181 of the 338 seats in the House of Commons elected chamber, more than enough to push through legislation. Trudeau is due to unveil his plans to the House of Commons in early December in the so-called Throne Speech, which is usually followed by a confidence vote. Trudeau indicated last month he would seek support for his policies on a case-by-case basis. Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet met with Trudeau on Wednesday and said his party shared common ground with the Liberals. Even the Conservative Party, the main opposition party, would likely back the middle-class tax cut Trudeau said would be the first act of his new government. “With Mr. Singh, we have a number of shared priorities,” Trudeau said before meeting Singh, citing a universal prescription drug plan, fighting climate change, and improving relations between Indigenous peoples and the government.