Trudeau’s Tory Rival Plans to Try to Force an Early Election
(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will likely face a vote of non-confidence next week in Canada’s parliament, but it appears he’ll survive it after an opposition party rejected the idea of forcing an election now.
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Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party, told reporters on Wednesday he plans to introduce a motion in the House of Commons as soon as possible that says lawmakers have “no confidence” in the prime minister. His first chance will most likely come Tuesday on what’s known as an opposition day.
But for the motion to pass, Poilievre would need the support of both the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Quebecois. Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet quickly knocked down the idea, saying he’s more interested in securing Liberal support on policies around seniors’ benefits and dairy sector quotas.
“My response is no,” Blanchet told reporters on whether he’d vote for Poilievre’s motion.
In Canada’s parliamentary system, if a sitting government doesn’t have the confidence of the majority of elected lawmakers, the government falls and a new election campaign usually takes place. At the moment, Poilievre’s Conservatives are far ahead in the polls and would likely secure a majority government in any national vote.
Poilievre said he wants an election that’s centered on the Trudeau government’s carbon tax, which is scheduled to rise in price each year. He challenged the NDP — which recently scrapped a power-sharing deal with Trudeau’s Liberals — to support his motion and have “a carbon tax election.”
“You have the motion, it’s in your inbox,” Poilievre said, referring to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
Singh has repeatedly said he is prepared to have an election any time, but will not be pushed into one by Poilievre.
Trudeau has made it clear he intends to try to keep governing until the scheduled election date in October 2025.
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, speaking to reporters Wednesday morning, said he doesn’t believe the NDP or Bloc want to trigger a campaign now.
“I’m confident that they understand the mood of Canadians, and the mood of Canadians is not to get into an election,” Champagne said, adding that lawmakers should focus instead on delivering results for people on housing affordability and other issues.
(Updates with new information beginning in the first paragraph.)
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