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Justin Trudeau said again Tuesday that there’s no way he’ll join a coalition with the NDP if the option presents itself after the election in October.

If neither the Liberals or NDP get a majority in October, but together they could outnumber the Conservatives and oust them from power, they’ll just have to deal with the situation at the time, Trudeau said at a stop in the Toronto suburb of Ajax. “I don’t believe in backroom deals or arrangements among leaders,” he declared. “I believe that Canadians should have the full range of choices so that they can pick the team with the better plan.”[np_storybar title=”Full Briefing” link=”https://twitter.com/full_briefing”]

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No one can say Trudeau hasn’t made clear his views on coalitions, which is a relief from the imprecision characterizing so many other areas of the Liberal platform. It’s a bit weird that he’d pick this one issue to demonstrate he’s not immune to clarity, however. The more often he pronounces on the matter, the more he is wedded to his vow. Yet the closer the election comes, with none of the three parties taking a significant lead, the less sense it makes for the Liberal leader to close off his options.