The leader of Canada's New Democrats has asked the Speaker of the House of Commons for an emergency debate on health care as hospitals continue to struggle with a wave of sick children.
Jagmeet Singh said this is an emergency situation, pointing to the fact that the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario had to call in the Red Cross for help.
"It's very serious. It's certainly a crisis. And it is getting to the level where it is a national emergency, in terms of the treatment of children, and the wait times. And the potential for this to get worse. We're just at the starting point," he said.
Singh also urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to meet with the premiers to find a solution.
"Given how bad this are, this is at the level where the prime minister needs to step up as well. The health ministers should certainly meet and have discussions. That should be ongoing. But with a crisis, when you have an emergency, when you have a crisis that is national in scope, the prime minister has to step up," he continued. "And we're just starting. It's only going to get worse. The season's just starting. We know that respiratory infections increase around this time of year. And it's only going to get worse if we don't act now."
Singh said he doesn't want to have to force an election over the issue, but did remind the Liberal government that his party’s supply and confidence agreement has conditions.
“If we don’t see action on health care, we absolutely reserve the right to withdraw our support,” he said. “In the midst of a crisis, of course it's something that I take very seriously. It's not a decision I would do lightly. And it is not my focus. My focus is not on how do I find a path to triggering an election.”
