The leader of the provincial NDP believes strategic voting had a lot to do with some of the significant losses their federal counterparts faced in the election.

The NDP were only able to win just seven seats throughout the country, well below the required 12 needed for official party status, which gives them the ability to ask questions during question period in the House of Commons.

Federal Leader Jagmeet Singh also lost his seat in the House of Commons and intends to step down once an interim leader has been chosen.

Provincial party leader Jim Dinn believes the collapse of support for the NDP is the result of people choosing to side with the Liberals in order to block to Conservatives from taking power and that is something they heard at the doors. He says they spoke with people who would normally vote NDP, who said they wouldn’t this time because of what was happening with the Tories and with U.S. President Donald Trump.

There is an “irony” to the situation, argues Dinn, in that the federal Liberals will have to work with the NDP again if they want to push forward their political agenda. He says it also gives the NDP more of an opportunity to hold the Liberals to account, and implement more programs like pharmacare and dental care, and expand existing ones.