Liberals will let Conservatives hold non-confidence vote 'fairly soon', no intention of proroguing Parliament
The Liberals have no intention of using procedural tactics to delay the Conservatives’ promised non-confidence motion, and they have no plans to prorogue Parliament to hold onto power, according to Government House Leader Karina Gould.
“I'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,” Gould told CTV’s 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 — propped up by the NDP in exchange for progress on certain progressive policies — since 2022.
With just 10 months before the deal was set to expire, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced Sept. 4 he’d “ripped up” 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’s caucus retreat this week the end of the deal means “all 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.
“Jagmeet Singh claims that he has torn up the supply-and-confidence agreement,” Poilievre told reporters this week. “That means he has to vote non-confidence to trigger a carbon tax election.
“It's put up or shut up time for the NDP,” he also said.
Gould — whose job it is to schedule the opposition days the Conservatives need to table a non-confidence motion — said she has no plans to cause delays.
“There are 11 and a half sitting weeks in the fall session. There are seven opposition days,” Gould said. “Of course, the Conservatives are going to get their opposition days.”
“It'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,” she added.
Asked specifically whether Gould might use procedural tactics, such as saving all the opposition days until December, the Government house leader said “no.”
“I intend to use them regularly, as we have been for the past number of years,” she added.
It was a tumultuous summer for the Liberals, starting with a stunning byelection loss to the Conservatives in Toronto—St. Paul’s in June, and wrapping up with the end of the supply-and-confidence agreement, followed shortly by the resignation of the party’s national campaign director, Jeremy Broadhurst.
Gould, however, insisted the Liberals are ready for the fall sitting.
“Absolutely, this was a summer of listening, this was a summer of reflection,” she said. “And now it's up to us to demonstrate that this fall.”
Also, in an interview airing on CTV’s Question Period on Sunday, Kapelos asked Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer about Gould’s 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’t want one.
“It'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,” he said. “That's what's at stake here.”
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’ federal carbon pricing program, and the Conservatives hope to form government so they can “axe” the policy.
“We're saying, ‘okay, well, if you're not going to listen to Canadians on that side of things, then let's at least have an election,’” Scheer said. “Let's have a carbon tax election.”
NDP House Leader Peter Julian, meanwhile, wouldn’t 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 “beholden to corporate interests,” as well as “not building new housing and not providing the supports for healthcare that need to happen.”
“So all of those things are why we reached a wall in working with the Liberals,” he said.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Freeland says she is 'not going anywhere' after Conservatives call her 'phantom finance minister'
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland declared she is 'not going anywhere' when pushed by the Conservatives on Monday about her future as finance minister.
'Never seen anything like this': Humpback whale catches unsuspecting seal off Vancouver Island
A Vancouver Island nature photographer says he has never seen anything like what his camera captured on a recent whale-watching excursion off Victoria.
First teen sentenced in Kenneth Lee case gets 15 months probation
The first teenager to be sentenced in the death of a Toronto homeless man will not face further time in custody, and instead participate in a community-based program.
Mortgage loan rules are changing in Canada
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has announced changes to mortgage rules she says are aimed at helping more Canadians to purchase their first home.
Singh challenged on carbon tax stance as MPs return to Ottawa
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh still won't say whether his party would scrap the federal carbon pricing program if elected, while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is increasing his calls for the NDP to vote non-confidence in the Liberals and trigger a 'carbon tax election.'
A passing comet could shine as bright as Venus. Here are the best viewing times
This eye-catching celestial event is around the corner and will appear in the skies this fall.
A pipeline explosion is shooting a towering pillar of flame over a Houston suburb
A massive pipeline fire shooting a towering pillar of flame for hours over suburban Houston on Monday as first responders evacuated a surrounding neighborhood and tried to keep more nearby homes from catching fire.
Rebooked your flight? Here are your options after Air Canada reached a tentative deal with its pilots
Air Canada is offering passengers the option to change flights back. Here's what you need to know.
Body recovered from B.C. lake after unclothed man leads investigators to crash site
Mounties are investigating a fatal crash north of Whistler, B.C., after an unclothed man who was found along the side of the road led police to a pickup truck submerged in a lake with one occupant still inside.
Local Spotlight
Young family from northern Ontario wins $70 million Lotto Max jackpot
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.
Oppenheimer star David Krumholtz dishes on his time filming in Winnipeg
David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.
'Craziest thing I've ever seen': Elusive salamanders make surprising mass appearance in Edmonton area
Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.
'A nightmare': Nature-goers stranded in B.C. backcountry after bridge washes out
A daytrip to the backcountry turned into a frightening experience for a Vancouver couple this weekend.
B.C. woman reveals greatest life lesson after celebrating 100th birthday
If you take a look to the right of Hilda Duddridge’s 100th birthday cake, you’ll see a sculpture of a smiling girl extending her arms forward.
Sisters finally see the Canadian 'aviation artifact' built by their father nearly 90 years ago
Two sisters have finally been reunited with a plane their father built 90 years ago, that is also considered an important part of Canadian aviation history.
The debate over taking horns off Viking statue in Gimli
A Facebook post has sparked a debate in Gimli about whether to make a cosmetic change to its iconic statue.
Collector scores 'holy grail' at B.C. Pokemon shop
A Pokémon card shop in Richmond is coming off a record-setting month, highlighted by a customer opening a pack to discover one of the most sought-after cards in the world.
Inside a Manitoba ghost town, a group of ladies works to keep it alive
Abandoned homes line the streets of Lauder, a town that's now a ghost of what it once was. Yet inside, a small community is thriving.