The New Democratic Party will propose retaining official party status in Parliament despite having only seven elected members, well below the 12-seat threshold, one of its surviving MPs said on Wednesday.
Don Davies, re-elected in Vancouver Kingsway with 37.2% of the vote, called the 12-seat requirement “arbitrary” and suggested his party would negotiate with the minority Liberal government.
“When you have official party status, you get question period time, you get a seat at committee tables, and you also get some resources,” Davies told CTV’s Power Play.
The NDP saw its caucus shrink from 24 seats to seven in Monday’s election, marking its worst showing since 1993 when the party won only nine seats. As Davies said, without official status, the party would face significant limitations in parliamentary proceedings and receive fewer resources for staff and research.
“Liberals don’t have a majority, they’re going to need the support of other parties,” Davies said. “When that happens, when you don’t have a majority, they’re compelled to sit down with other parties and start negotiating.”
Davies suggested his party has “ruled nothing out at this time” and would meet with colleagues to prepare a proposal once Parliament resumes.
NDP party leader Jagmeet Singh announced his resignation on election night when his party was reduced to just seven seats, projected to get only six percent of the popular vote.
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