Angus cranks up heat on Singh for lack of seat in the House of Commons
OTTAWA — NDP leadership candidate Charlie Angus marked Monday’s return of Parliament by stressing the importance of his party’s next leader having immediate access to the House of Commons — a pointed jab at fellow hopeful Jagmeet Singh.
Singh, who sits in the Ontario legislature, has suggested he won’t seek a federal seat right away if elected federal NDP leader — a scenario Angus said he believes should disqualify his rival from seeking to become prime minister in 2019.
“I was surprised that Jagmeet said he didn’t think he needed to be in Parliament until 2019,” Angus said Monday in an interview. “That’s his choice … my focus is Parliament, what we are going to do there and the building on the ground from that.”
It will be up to party members to decide whether they want a leader who can square off right away with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the party has already waited long enough, he added.