Conservatives table second non-confidence motion this week

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OTTAWA — A day after their first non-confidence motion of the fall session was defeated, the Conservatives tabled a new one in hopes of bringing down the Liberal government.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was not in the House of Commons on Thursday to present the new motion, instead leaving it to Quebec MP Luc Berthold to take some swings at the Bloc Québécois and the NDP for supporting the minority government in confidence votes.

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The motion reads as follows: “That, given that, after nine years, the government has doubled housing costs, taxed food, punished work, unleashed crime, and is the most centralizing government in Canadian history, the 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.”

Berthold referred to what Poilievre called the “promise of Canada” that the Conservative leader said no longer existed because of the Liberals.

“Like me, a majority of Quebecers and Canadians are probably extremely disappointed because this prime minister is not at Rideau Hall at this moment, is not in front of the Governor General to request the dissolution of his government,” said Berthold, addressing the Commons in French.

Poll numbers have in fact indicated that while most Canadians want a change of government, more than half of them have no desire for an election right away.

The next election is scheduled for October 2025, but because the Liberals don’t control a majority of seats in Parliament, the opposition parties can force a snap election if they defeat the government on a confidence motion or a money bill. 

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Poilievre’s first motion declaring non-confidence in the government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau failed Wednesday by a count of 211-120.

The Bloc and the NDP have indicated that the Conservatives’ latest attempt at triggering an election is futile. The Bloc said it was giving the Liberals an ultimatum until Oct. 29 to adopt two bills — to raise the Old Age Security for seniors between 65 and 74, and to protect supply management from future trade deals. The NDP, meanwhile, is waiting at least until the pharmacare bill passes.

During the debate on the motion, Conservative MP Dan Albas took some shots at the Bloc, asking them why they wanted to become “the new NDP.”

“The Bloc Québécois is not supporting the government, the Bloc Québécois is simply not bringing down the government,” responded Bloc MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval.

Barsalou-Duval said the Liberal government is at the “end of its life,” so his party is trying to make some gains.

“It’s like the equivalent of Jack and the Beanstalk,” said Albas, referring to a well-known fairy tale where a young boy sells his only cow. “They’re asking for some magic beans and that’s what the Liberal government will offer them, but they won’t grow anything.”

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Government House leader Karina Gould ridiculed the Conservatives’ second attempt at bringing down her government.

“It’s a little awkward that we’re again here today just a few hours after the House voted non-confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, but here we are,” she said. “There’s not the pomp and ceremony. In fact, it seems a little deflated in here.”

NDP MP Charlie Angus said he was “concerned” that Poilievre was not in the House.

“We have a leader of the Opposition who wants to bring down the government and he’s missing — I’m just worried something happened to him,” he added, with a note of sarcasm.

Poilievre appeared in question period later on Thursday and read his motion of non-confidence into the record, asking who could be opposed to it.

“Canadians,” shot back Gould.

The vote on the second non-confidence motion is set to happen on Tuesday. The Conservatives are expected to table other non-confidence motions; they get three more opposition days during the fall session when they could choose to do so.

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In addition to the opposition days, there will be votes on financial matters, such as the Fall Economic Statement and supplementary estimates, that are always confidence votes. The Liberals’ new ways and means motion on capital gains tax will be a confidence vote too.

National Post
calevesque@postmedia.com

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