NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he considered stepping down after being told about a credible threat to his life in December, 2023.

Singh says the RCMP warned him about the threat and put him and his family under heavy police protection in late 2023 and early 2024.

The NDP leader says he ultimately decided to stay on because of the dental care program being in its early stages of implementation.

Singh says the RCMP did not say where the threats to his life came from but the “implication” was they originated from a foreign government.

Singh was one of multiple MPs and cabinet ministers given RCMP protection in 2023. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has had constant protection for more than a year.

Former emergency preparedness minister Harjit Sajjan had an RCMP detail for several months in 2023 and 2024, as did Conservative Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman.

None of them, including Singh, would ever discuss the threats.

Permanent RCMP protection is provided for the prime minister and the governor general, while other party leaders, ministers and MPs can receive it as needed. The cost to protect MPs, not including the prime minister, has risen significantly in the last few years.

Singh was asked about the protective detail around him at the time but he would not discuss it. His spokeswoman told The Canadian Press in 2024 that the party was following the “recommendations that are provided to us.”

Now, Singh says he is sharing his story after hearing from regular people on the campaign trail who are worried about foreign interference and threats in their own lives.

Singh is making the revelation with two days left in the federal election. His party is trailing badly in most polls and is at risk of losing official party status after Monday’s vote.