Some federal Greens and New Democrats are pushing for a temporary alliance

With a minority government in powerready to fall on a confidence vote, grassroots NDP and Green members are pushing their parties to get ready for an early election byagreeing to a one-time strategic alliance.

While their partyleaders don't seem keen on the idea, some party membersare openlycalling on the NDP's Jagmeet Singh and the Green Party's Annamie Paulto consider a temporary union that could get more of theirMPs elected.

Wayne Stetski, a former NDP MP who was defeated in 2019,said the progressive vote is being split and New Democrats and Greens are losing out as a result. He lost hisformer riding ofKootenay-Columbia inB.C., whichborders Alberta, toConservative Rob Morrison. He said he thinks thatNDP and Green votes combined could have been enough to win the riding.

He said it comes down to what New Democrats and Greens value more: winning seats or achievingreal progress on shared politicalpriorities, such as electoral reform and climate action.

"It ends up comingdown to how strategic do you want to be and how important are those two objectives climate change and proportional representation," he said."Are you willing to put aside those differences to focus on those two larger objectives?"

Stetskisaid he supports the One Time Alliance for Democratic Reform, a movement calling on the NDP and Green parties to avoid vote-splitting in key ridings.If the movement gets its way in the next federal election, the NDP and the Greens would collaborate in 100 key ridings withNew Democrats running in 50andGreens competing in the rest.

The idea has attractedhigh-profile support in the Green Party. Dimitri Lascaris and Meryam Haddad two Montreal Greens who ran for the federal leadership and lost to Paul said theybelieve that a partnership would increase the chances of getting more MPs into the House of Commons who arewilling topush forelectoral reform andambitious action againstclimate change.

"We would have more power to force the hand of a minority government to adopt electoral reform," Haddadtold Radio-Canada in French.

Party leaders unimpressed

Singh who has spoken out against so-called "strategic voting" in the past said he's against party leaders making secret deals that limit voters' choices on the ballot.

"People should be the ones electing a party of their choice, and they'refree to choose who they want," Singh said. "I don't think a backroom deal is fair to voters. If they want to vote for a New Democrat, they should vote for a New Democrat."

Paul is also cool to the idea of a political partnership, although she'ssaid it's ultimately up to the Greenmembership to decide.

"I know there is some interest among some of our members," she said. "But if I am asked my opinion at this moment, I believe our best option is to have a Green in every single riding for the next election."