The first attempt by the federal Conservatives to topple Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government after the collapse of the supply-and-confidence deal with the NDP will be tabled Tuesday.
But that effort is expected to be defeated as both the NDP and Bloc Quebecois have signalled they plan to vote against the non-confidence motion.
Two weeks ago when the NDP ended its supply-and-confidence deal with the Liberals, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre vowed to seek a confidence vote at the earliest opportunity.
Last week, a spokesperson for Government House Leader Karina Gould’s office told Global News that Poilievre would get his chance Sept. 24, with the first opposition day tentatively scheduled for this Tuesday.
That opposition day means the Conservatives would be able to set the agenda for the House of Commons, and they said they would introduce a motion stating: “The House has no confidence in the Prime Minister and the Government.” Gould’s office and a Conservative source who spoke on background told Global News the vote was expected to take place Sept. 25.
The Liberals do not have a majority of seats in the House and thus must rely on other parties to pass legislation and keep the confidence of the House.
Were a non-confidence motion to pass, the government would fall and a snap election would be triggered.
In Canada’s Westminster parliamentary system, any party seeking to form government must hold the confidence of the House which means maintaining support from a majority of members.
Confidence votes can happen in a few different ways, including motions declared to be a question of confidence by the government, votes on budgetary policy, or, in the case of the Conservatives’ motion, an explicitly-worded motion stating the House does not have confidence.
Last week, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said while he hasn’t ruled out voting non-confidence in a future motion, he would vote against it this time as the party wants to negotiate benefits for Quebec from the Liberals.
Just with the Bloc’s votes, the Liberals would have enough to defeat the Conservatives’ motion and continue governing. This past Thursday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also confirmed that party would not help topple the government.
While the Conservatives continue to push for an early election, 56 per cent of Canadians surveyed by Ipsos in a poll exclusively for Global News earlier this month said they don’t want that election just yet, saying they want all parties to try and work with the government on a case-by-case basis.
A federal vote does not have to happen until October 2025, when the fixed election date laws require one to be held at the very latest.
—with files from Global News’ Sean Boynton and The Canadian Press