In Toronto, Jagmeet Singh is delivering his first speech following the NDP’s exit from its supply and confidence deal with the minority Liberals.

The NDP leader acknowledges one of the party’s biggest challenges will be persuading Canadians it can actually form government.

Singh says all his life he’s been told a New Democrat government is impossible.

He says those attacks serve the cost-cutting agenda of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and play into the hands of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who Singh calls too weak and ineffective to stop the Tories. Poilievre is ahead in the polls and calling for a fall election. His party has been making overt appeals to unions and blue-collar workers in an effort to poach seats from the NDP.