Vancouver: In another sign of danger for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on Wednesday said his party plans to put forward a no-confidence motion against Trudeau's Liberal government “at the earliest possible opportunity”. This came after Trudeau suffered a major blow when Jagmeet Singh's New Democratic Party (NDP), a key ally keeping his Liberal Party in power, unexpectedly withdrew support in early September.
Jagmeet Singh's surprise withdrawal from a supply-and-confidence agreement with the ruling party left Trudeau reliant on support from other opposition lawmakers to survive confidence votes in the lower chamber of parliament at a time when polls show he will lose badly if an election were held now. An election must be held by the end of October 2025 under Canadian law.
Poilievre called on New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh to support the motion and trigger an election. “Jagmeet Singh claims that he's torn up the supply-and-confidence agreement. That means he has to vote non-confidence. Or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said at a news conference in Ottawa. “It's put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
Jagmeet Singh's response to Poilievre's plan
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh refused to say if his party would support the Conservatives. “I've said on any vote we will look at the vote and we'll make our decision,” Singh said during a party caucus meeting in Montreal. “We'll make a determination of what is in the best interests of Canadians. Unlike Pierre Poilievre who wants to play games, we actually want to get things done for Canadians.”
Trudeau, 52, first took office in November 2015 but has over the last two years struggled to fend off attacks from the opposition centre-right Conservatives, who blame him for high inflation and a housing crisis. With the NDP's support, his government has pushed through social programs designed to address the cost of living.
However, Jagmeet Singh had expressed growing frustration with Trudeau in recent months, especially over what he said was the Liberals' failure to deal with high prices at grocery stores. "Justin Trudeau has proven again and again he will always cave to corporate greed... Liberals have led people down - they don't deserve another chance," he said in a video address on September 4, while announcing that he would run for PM himself.
What will happen to Trudeau?
Under the 2022 supply and confidence agreement, the NDP agreed to keep Trudeau in power until mid-2025 in return for more social spending. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre reiterated his call for an early election to break up what he called a Liberal-NDP coalition driving up prices for Canadians.
The House of Commons resumes work on September 16, after which the Conservatives will have the ability to propose a vote of confidence. The Liberals currently have 154 seats in the 338 Canadian House of Commons. The Conservates hold 119 and the NDP 24. Trudeau's Liberals could still survive if the NDP abstained on such a vote.
Yves-Francois Blanchet, the leader of Bloc Québécois, which has 32 seats in the Parliament, has said his party is willing to support the government if the Liberals agree on issues like increased support for seniors and granting Quebec more powers in immigration matters.
Trudeau becoming deeply unpopular
Most polls show the Conservatives well ahead of the Liberals with the NDP sitting third. Trudeau is also very unpopular among many voters. Recently, Alexandra Mendes, a Quebec Liberal MP, said many of her constituents believe he should step down as party leader.
“In a democracy people we have all sorts or different perspectives and that's important that we have that, including in the Liberal Party,” Trudeau said when asked on Mendes' comments. “The reality is, all of us are focused on what to do to make sure that Canadians are being supported and are feeling confident over the future.”
(with input from agencies)
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