Trudeau government survives another Conservative-led non-confidence vote
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government survived another Conservative-led non-confidence vote on Tuesday, the second in less than a week.
This, the same day the Bloc Quebecois had an opportunity to table a non-confidence motion of its own, opting instead to push the Liberals to support one of its key demands.
The non-confidence motion stated in part that 鈥渢he House has lost confidence in the government and offers Canadians the option to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime.鈥 It was defeated 207 to 121.
In a statement following the vote on Tuesday, the Conservatives pointed fingers at the NDP 鈥 saying Leader Jagmeet Singh 鈥渟old out working Canadians鈥 鈥 and at the Bloc, accusing them of 鈥渓etting down Quebecers.鈥
鈥淐anadians will have the chance to vote in a carbon tax election and Conservatives will continue to fight for it,鈥 the statement reads.
The Liberals survived the Conservatives鈥 first non-confidence motion just six days ago, with the support of the NDP and the Bloc. Neither of those parties had since indicated they planned to change their votes.
In an interview on CTV's Your Morning last Friday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said his party would not support the next Conservative-led motion.
"We're not going to play Pierre Poilievre's games," Singh said.
"If there's a vote, something of substance, something of content, we'll look at it and say, 'you know, this is something we oppose.' But if it's just a motion being brought by Pierre Poilievre, we're not going to support that," Singh also said.
While Gould said the atmosphere in the House of Commons felt 鈥渁 little deflated鈥 during debate on the motion last week, considering MPs had voted on a very similar motion just two days prior, the Conservatives in a statement reiterated its calls on the other opposition parties to stop propping up the Liberals and 鈥済ive Canadians the relief they desperately need.鈥
The vote on the first motion, which stated that 鈥淭he House has no confidence in the Prime Minister and the Government,鈥 took place last Wednesday, and it failed by a vote of 211-120.
The Conservatives will have three more opposition days between now and Christmas.
Bloc tables motion on Old Age Security
The Bloc, meanwhile, had its own opportunity to table an opposition day motion on Tuesday.
It鈥檚 the party鈥檚 sole opposition day before Christmas, and it comes after Bloc Leader Yves-Fran莽ois Blanchet issued an ultimatum to the Liberals last week: two Bloc-led bills must become law by the end of October, or the party will start negotiating with the Conservatives and NDP to bring down the government.
The legislation Blanchet wants the government to push through includes Bill C-319, which proposes a 10 per cent increase to Old Age Security (OAS) payouts for seniors ages 65 to 74, and Bill C-282, which seeks to protect dairy, egg and poultry farmers in future trade talks.
Blanchet鈥檚 motion seeks to request royal recommendation for Bill C-319, and MPs will vote on it Wednesday.
鈥淭hey are not divisive,鈥 Blanchet said about the bills at a press conference on Tuesday. 鈥淭here's no wedge in those issues, and they do represent a very important gain for retired people.鈥
The Conservatives, NDP, and Greens all voted in favour of the Bloc鈥檚 proposed changes to OAS during the bill鈥檚 second reading last October. The Liberals and one Independent MP were the only parliamentarians to vote against it.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates it will come with a $16-billion price tag over five years.
Blanchet, however, said the cost of the OAS expansion is 鈥渘ot so much compared to where it could be removed,鈥 namely from the oil and gas industry, he said, which 鈥渄oes not need it.鈥
Asked on Tuesday whether they鈥檇 vote in favour of the Bloc鈥檚 motion, neither Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, nor Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, would commit to supporting it, and signalled they see problems with the bill as it鈥檚 currently proposed.
鈥淭he Bloc's bill, although well intentioned now, is not helping the most vulnerable seniors,鈥 Duclos said.
On Tuesday, Freeland also made reference to the federal government鈥檚 fiscal responsibility.
鈥淲e really recognize we need to act in the interests of all Canadians,鈥 Freeland said. 鈥淵es, seniors, but also their children and their grandchildren and part of doing that means making wise decisions about the use of scarce resources.鈥
And when asked about the legislation and the Bloc鈥檚 ultimatum on his way into a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Health Minister Mark Holland said the minority government Liberals have to 鈥渨ork with all parliamentarians,鈥 and make decisions 鈥渇ocused on those with the greatest need,鈥 and 鈥渞ooted in logic鈥 when it comes to the public purse.
鈥淚 think there's a lot of hyperbole, there's a lot of saber rattling, there's a lot of politics right now, and that's normal, in the later stages of the minority government,鈥 he added. 鈥淏ut in my opinion, everybody (should) just calm down a little bit here and try to find common ground.鈥
With files from 麻豆影视鈥 Rachel Aiello and Stephanie Ha
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