NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh hasn´t spoken with Justin Trudeau since the election
(The Star Toronto Raptors)

OTTAWA—NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Wednesday that he has not spoken with the prime minister about working together in the incoming minority parliament as he tries to figure out how to influence the government with his reduced contingent of MPs. Stepping out from his first meeting with his new caucus, Singh said no one from the Liberal government has reached out to his party to discuss co-operation in the House of Commons, but that he believes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should contact him. He also acknowledged the NDP will have to work without a deal to share power with the Liberal minority, now that Trudeau has ruled out any formal or informal coalition. But Singh insisted his party can still push the government on its priorities through “public pressure� and arguing it is the only partner who can work with the Liberals on national programs that are also “progressive.�To that end, Singh laid out two “challenges� for Trudeau’s government. He said the NDP will table a bill at the first opportunity that would set the “framework� for a universal public pharmacare program for all Canadians. He also called on the Liberals to “immediately drop� the government’s appeal of a human rights tribunal ruling to compensate tens of thousands of First Nations children and their families harmed by what was deemed as chronically-underfunded child welfare services. With 157 seats out of 338 in the House of Commons, the Liberals need the support of at least one other official party — the NDP, Bloc Québécois or Conservatives — to stay in power. But Singh would not say whether he would he refuse to support the Liberals if his demands aren’t met.“Our first step is to put out our challenge, and we’re going to put public pressure on this,� he said. “A lot of Canadians wanted to see this government work with other parties. They need to work with other part ...