The Liberals have no intention of using procedural tactics to delay the Conservatives鈥� promised non-confidence motion, and they have no plans to prorogue Parliament to hold onto power, according to Government House Leader Karina Gould.
鈥淚'm looking forward to being there on Monday and working with the opposition parties, in whatever configuration that looks like, to deliver on important pieces of legislation for Canadians,鈥� Gould told CTV鈥檚 Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, in an interview airing Sunday, when asked whether the Liberals are considering proroguing Parliament, or whether they plan on following through with the entire fall sitting.
The supply-and-confidence agreement has kept the Liberals in power 鈥� propped up by the NDP in exchange for progress on certain progressive policies 鈥� since 2022.
With just 10 months before the deal was set to expire, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced Sept. 4 he鈥檇 鈥渞ipped up鈥� the pact, leaving a greater possibility of an earlier election, as Parliament resumes Monday and MPs return to the House of Commons under a traditional minority government structure.
Singh told reporters during his party鈥檚 caucus retreat this week the end of the deal means 鈥渁ll bets are off."
Meanwhile, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, has promised his party will table a non-confidence motion as soon as possible, hoping to trigger an election and topple the Liberals.
鈥淛agmeet Singh claims that he has torn up the supply-and-confidence agreement,鈥� Poilievre told reporters this week. 鈥淭hat means he has to vote non-confidence to trigger a carbon tax election.
鈥淚t's put up or shut up time for the NDP,鈥� he also said.
Gould 鈥� whose job it is to schedule the opposition days the Conservatives need to table a non-confidence motion 鈥� said she has no plans to cause delays.
鈥淭here are 11 and a half sitting weeks in the fall session. There are seven opposition days,鈥� Gould said. 鈥淥f course, the Conservatives are going to get their opposition days.鈥�
鈥淚t's not usual practice that we do it in the first week back in any session, but I can say with confidence that they will be getting an (opposition) day fairly soon,鈥� she added.
Asked specifically whether Gould might use procedural tactics, such as saving all the opposition days until December, the Government house leader said 鈥渘o.鈥�
鈥淚 intend to use them regularly, as we have been for the past number of years,鈥� she added.
It was a tumultuous summer for the Liberals, starting with a stunning byelection loss to the Conservatives in Toronto鈥擲t. Paul鈥檚 in June, and wrapping up with the end of the supply-and-confidence agreement, followed shortly by the resignation of the party鈥檚 national campaign director, Jeremy Broadhurst.
Gould, however, insisted the Liberals are ready for the fall sitting.
鈥淎bsolutely, this was a summer of listening, this was a summer of reflection,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd now it's up to us to demonstrate that this fall.鈥�
Also, in an interview airing on CTV鈥檚 Question Period on Sunday, Kapelos asked Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer about Gould鈥檚 comments, and why his party is intent on triggering a snap election, despite recent surveys by polling firms Ipsos and Léger showing the majority of Canadians don鈥檛 want one.
鈥淚t's in the interests of Canadians that we put an end to the Liberal government that has caused rents and mortgages to double, caused crime and drug crises in our communities, has caused the inflation crisis that took such a big bite out of workers' paycheques,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat's what's at stake here.鈥�
Scheer added that while polling may show the majority of Canadians do not want an election right now, other polling shows the deep unpopularity of the Liberals鈥� federal carbon pricing program, and the Conservatives hope to form government so they can 鈥渁xe鈥� the policy.
鈥淲e're saying, 鈥榦kay, well, if you're not going to listen to Canadians on that side of things, then let's at least have an election,鈥欌�� Scheer said. 鈥淟et's have a carbon tax election.鈥�
NDP House Leader Peter Julian, meanwhile, wouldn鈥檛 say how his party squares the circle of ending the supply-and-confidence agreement with a looming non-confidence vote, and where the NDP will land.
Also in an interview airing Sunday, Julian accused the Liberals of being 鈥渂eholden to corporate interests,鈥� as well as 鈥渘ot building new housing and not providing the supports for healthcare that need to happen.鈥�
鈥淪o all of those things are why we reached a wall in working with the Liberals,鈥� he said.
