Kissing babies is campaign trail behaviour 101.
But on the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 17, during NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s visit to the International Plowing Match in Verner, Ont., a very unlikely impromptu baby photo op unfolded — and it was requested by a Conservative politician.
WATCH: Conservative MPP tells Global News why she wanted her baby to meet NDP leader
Toronto Conservative MPP Christina Mitas asked the NDP leader if her seven-month-old baby daughter could have a photo with him.
And Singh was happy to oblige, holding Cressida in front of him until he got some smiles, surrounded by her parents and a gaggle of media and staffers.
Then the whole family posed with Singh.
“My wife and I are, like, totally having baby fever,” Singh told Mitas in the moment.
(The 40 year-old federal leader married Gurkiran Kaur last year. Singh is the only one of his opponent counterparts without children.)
Mitas told Singh she is expecting her second baby. “Oh my goodness, that’s amazing,” Singh responded. The two shook hands and exchanged pleasantries, Singh handed back the baby, and regularly-scheduled politicking continued at the century-old rural plowing competition that traditionally draws politicians.
Global News caught up with Mitas after the photo.
“I think for Cressida it’s an honour to meet any leader of any party,” Mitas told Global News.
“And she’s been very fortunate so far to be exposed to a lot of political people of all different stripes. And everyone’s impressive and it’s great for her to meet people.”
WATCH: (Sept. 18, 2018) Ontario politicians attend International Plowing Match in Chatham-Kent
Mitas, a former teacher, said it’s important for children to gain exposure.
“I am a Tory, but you know, you represent your riding as well, and Canada is made up of all different types of people,” Mitas said.
Global News asked whether she thinks there are enough cross-party moments in Canadian politics.
“I think there are some. And I think the more we work together, the better things we can do for Canadians,” she said.
“So I hope we can cross party lines as much as we need to achieve great things for Canada and Ontario.”
Singh used to work at Queen’s Park as an MPP but left for his federal job in 2017, before Mitas was elected to the provincial legislature in 2018.