NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh re-elected in Burnaby-South

BURNABY — NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has won re-election in his riding. Singh has not said who he will consider backing in the event of a minority, which the Liberals are projected to win.

However, speaking in Vancouver Monday night, Singh offered his congratulations to Justin Trudeau “on his re-election as Prime Minister of Canada.”

The morning after, Singh still had made no promises to align with Trudeau right now, and defends his campaign accusations that Trudeau can’t be trusted.

“Everything I said was true, and so I’m gonna stand beside it. But, I’m going to go back and say he messed up but doesn’t mean we can’t still work to get things done for Canadians,” Singh said Tuesday morning from Vancouver.

“We spoke, I congratulated him. We didn’t get into details of negotiations,” he said about the phone call with the Liberal Leader.

The party’s goal was to win 50 seats, but by the end of election night, the New Democrats were projected to win just 27. Singh, speaking to his supporters after his re-election promised to continue to pressure the next government to deliver progressive policies on healthcare, climate, housing affordability, and reconciliation.

Listen to Singh’s English remarks: 

Singh used charm as a tactic in this election campaign, which has been viewed as one targeted at younger voters. He ran a strong social media campaign, especially on TikTok. He is the only leader with an account on that platform, which is used primarily by people under the age of 30.

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@thejagmeetsinghYoung people are going to make history in the next election!!! ##greenscreenvideo♬ Stromae Alors on Danse – ᴍᴇɢᴜᴍɪ & ᴋʏᴏ

Throughout the campaign, Singh’s personality has also resonated with people of all political stripes, as many polls have named him the most likable leader.

The NDP platform included higher spending than any other party. It put a spotlight on health care, including pharmacare and dental care, as well as a plan to phase out private long-term care operators.

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The platform also proposed a tax hike on the ultra-rich, calling for an additional one per cent in taxation on income over $10 million. It also called for companies that made excessive profits during the COVID-19 pandemic being retroactively taxed.

Criticisms of Singh’s campaign included a lack of clarity on how the party planned to pay for some of its most expensive promises.

A costed platform was released just nine days before the election, indicating the total cost is an estimated $214 billion over five years. The Liberals, in contrast, proposed $78 billion in five years. The Conservatives pledged $58 billion.

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When it came to environmental action, Singh promised to invest in clean energy, move to end fossil fuel subsidies, and investments in provinces and territories to address climate change. However, the platform lacked details, with critics calling it vague and watered down.