NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged Singh to bring down government.

鈥淚 say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I鈥檓 not going to listen to you,鈥� said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental care coverage from Canadians, among other things.

鈥淚鈥檓 not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people鈥檚 lives, I want to build up a brighter future.鈥�

Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons 鈥渁t the earliest possibly opportunity.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday鈥檚 byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?鈥� Poilievre said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 put up or shut up time for the NDP.鈥�

While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence agreement.

鈥淚鈥檝e said on any vote, we鈥檙e going to look at the vote and we鈥檒l make our decision. I鈥檓 not going to say our decision ahead of time,鈥� he said.

Singh鈥檚 top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.

Anne McGrath, Singh鈥檚 principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,鈥� she said in an interview.

New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.

The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.

It鈥檚 also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal鈥檚 LaSalle鈥斆塵ard鈥擵erdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood鈥擳ranscona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.

While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don鈥檛 appear ready to trigger a general election by voting non-confidence in the government.

Singh has repeatedly said his party will consider each vote independently and will be looking to the government to bring in legislation that will help Canadians.

Poilievre has been taunting the NDP to trigger an election, calling the decision to pull out of the supply-and-confidence agreement a 鈥渟tunt.鈥�

Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party鈥檚 strategy for the upcoming sitting.

He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.

Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental care program brought in by the supply-and-confidence agreement.

The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre鈥檚 office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the dental program in place, if he forms government after the next election.

With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.

The Bloc Qu茅b茅cois has already indicated that it鈥檚 written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.