OTTAWA — NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is touring Atlantic Canada in an effort to highlight affordability issues — and flip two Liberal seats in the next federal election. 

Singh says voters who are increasingly struggling with the cost of living are dissatisfied with the federal government.

He says the NDP has pushed for affordability initiatives through its confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals, including dental care, a one-time rental supplement and the doubling of the GST rebate.

The party is looking to flip St. John’s East in Newfoundland, a seat that used to be a stronghold for the NDP, and Halifax, a seat that often flips between the Liberals and New Democrats.

Singh says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is not a viable option for Atlantic Canada because he served in former prime minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet and will bring the same style of Harper conservatism to the region. 

Former Progressive Conservative premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Danny Williams launched a sustained offensive against the federal Tories during the 2015 federal campaign, imploring conservative voters not to support them.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2023. 

The Canadian Press