Poilievre's first chance to topple Trudeau government expected next week
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is set to get his first chance to topple Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority Liberal government next week, CTV News has confirmed.
While the legislative agenda could still shift, the first Conservative opposition day has tentatively been scheduled for Tuesday, according to sources on both sides of the aisle.
That’s when Poilievre can present his promised motion of non-confidence in the prime minister, forcing the House of Commons to spend the day debating it.
The vote on this first major test of the new minority dynamics in Parliament would then come on Wednesday.
It remains to be seen how the Conservatives craft the wording of the motion, and how that may impact whether other parties get behind it.
In order to pass, the majority of the current 336 MPs would need to vote to say they no longer have confidence in Trudeau.
Right now, the Liberals hold 154 seats, and the Conservatives have 119. After Monday’s byelections, there are now 33 Bloc MPs and 25 New Democrats. The Green party holds two seats and there are also three Independents.
Heading into the fall sitting, Poilievre pledged to advance a non-confidence motion to defeat the Liberal minority at his first opportunity and called on the other opposition parties to back him.
Behind this push is the Conservative leader’s desire for a snap “carbon tax election” now that the NDP-Liberal supply-and-confidence deal is caput, telling Trudeau in question period on Monday that his “time is up.”
Asked repeatedly this week how they’d vote on this anticipated first non-confidence motion, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, and Green Party Elizabeth May all said they’d need to see the text of any hypothetical motion before stating their position.
The government sets the schedule for when opposition days occur, and the Liberals appear to be making good on their pledge to not have MPs wait long before allowing this first major test to take place.
There are 11 and a half sitting weeks on the House calendar this fall, and within that timeframe, there are seven allotted opposition days for the non-governing parties to set the agenda and advance motions of their choosing. That means that if the Conservatives’ first crack at declaring non-confidence in Trudeau is unsuccessful, the party will have additional opportunities.
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
Prime minister faces mounting pressure to step aside from inside caucus
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will face mounting pressure from his caucus this week to step down from the leadership of the Liberal party.
Bloc won't hold Liberals 'hostage' over seniors' benefits: cabinet minister
Liberal cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault says the Liberals will not be 'held hostage' by the Bloc Quebecois' demand to expand Old Age Security to more seniors.
Government spending on flights for Canadians fleeing the Middle East unpopular, Nanos survey finds
Amid escalating violence in the Middle East, a majority of surveyed Canadians say they don't believe the costs associated with Canadians fleeing the region should be funded solely by the government.
How psilocybin, the psychedelic in mushrooms, may rewire the brain to ease depression, anxiety and more
Small clinical trials have shown that one or two doses of psilocybin, given in a therapeutic setting, can make dramatic and long-lasting changes in people suffering from treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, which typically does not respond to traditional antidepressants.
When Europe's railroad dining cars were the height of luxury
The Orient Express' opulent passenger experience was later immortalized in popular culture by authors like Graham Greene and Agatha Christie. But dining on the move was very much a triumph of logistics and engineering.
Police identify Toronto victim of alleged serial killer
Toronto police have identified the woman who was allegedly killed by a suspected serial killer earlier this month.
Missing father, kids spotted in New Zealand wilderness 3 years after disappearance: police
A New Zealand man who disappeared with his three children in 2021 was spotted on a farm along the country's northwest coast, police say.
No jail time for man who fatally stabbed senior in Vancouver
A man who stabbed a senior to death in Vancouver's Biltmore Hotel building in 2020 has been given a conditional sentence for the killing, meaning he will not serve any jail time if he remains on good behaviour in the community.
B.C. billionaire posts third large sign criticizing NDP ahead of the election
British Columbia billionaire Chip Wilson has put up yet another billboard message to voters, his third post outside his multimillion-dollar mansion in NDP Leader David Eby's own riding.
Local Spotlight
'It's beautiful': B.C. man invites strangers into his home for Thanksgiving dinner
James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.
FROM THE VAULT: Fifth anniversary of Manitoba's Thanksgiving weekend blizzard
This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of a large blizzard that paralyzed Manitoba.
Stunning images capture rainbows, lightning over Metro Vancouver
There was an eye-catching mix of rainbows and lightning over Vancouver following a brief downpour this week.
Northern Ontario farmer breaks giant pumpkin records, taking top prizes in competition
Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.
Saskatchewan's Jessica Campbell becomes first female assistant coach in NHL history
Saskatchewan’s Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Alberta man's hovercraft creation odyssey 'an incredible experience'
Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.
B.C. couple offers Taylor Swift tickets to anyone who can find their missing dog
A B.C. couple is getting desperate – and creative – in their search for their missing dog.
Video shows meteor streaking across Ontario
Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.
Rare cloud formations ripple the sky over Ottawa
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.