Canadian Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Wednesday his party plans to table a no-confidence vote “as soon as possible” in hopes of toppling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government.
Poilievre called on New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh to support the motion and call for elections.
“Will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre asked at a news conference in Ottawa. “For the NDP, it's time to do right or shut up.”
Singh declined to say whether his party would support the Conservatives.
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“I've said that in any vote, we will look at the situation and make a decision,” Singh said during a meeting of the party's parliamentary caucus in Montreal. “We will make a decision on what is in the best interests of Canadians. Unlike Pierre Poilievre, who wants to play, we want to do things for Canadians.”
Singh ignored Poilievre's demand for a response before two by-elections on Monday.
“I tell Pierre Poilievre directly that I will not listen to him,” Singh said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives to speak to reporters at the Liberal Caucus retreat in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Last week, the NDP withdrew from a confidence agreement with Trudeau’s minority Liberal government that helped it stay in power. The deal, reached in 2022, meant the NDP would support the federal government in no-confidence votes in exchange for progress on shared priorities.
“We have taken the decision that we can no longer continue with the agreement,” Singh said Wednesday. “We are now back to a standard minority government where we are going to make a decision based on every vote that is before us.”
Canada's next federal election is scheduled for October 2025.
The Liberals currently hold 154 seats in the 338-seat House of Commons. The Conservatives hold 119 and the NDP 24. The Bloc Québécois, a Quebec-based party that advocates Quebec sovereignty, holds 32 seats.
Canada's Parliament is scheduled to resume session on Monday.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet has said his party is ready to support the government if the Liberals agree on issues such as greater support for seniors and granting Quebec more powers over immigration.
Most polls show the Conservatives far ahead of the Liberals, with the NDP in third place. Trudeau is also deeply unpopular with many voters.
Speaking at a caucus retreat in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Trudeau was asked about comments by Alexandra Mendes, a Liberal MP from Quebec who said in a French-language interview that many of her constituents believe she should resign as party leader.
“In a democracy, people have all kinds of different perspectives and it's important that we have them, including in the Liberal Party,” he said. “The reality is that we're all focused on what to do to make sure Canadians are supported and confident about the future.”
Trudeau said his government will continue to introduce programs that help Canadians, such as dental care for seniors and child care.
In June, the Liberals suffered a major upset in a by-election, losing a seat in Toronto that the party had held for three decades.
Two more by-elections will be held on Monday in Montreal and Winnipeg.
Trudeau was asked whether the election would be a referendum on his leadership.
“All by-elections are very important,” he said. “It's a time when voters can show they are concerned, but at the same time they can show their ambition for the future.”
Poilievre also attacked Trudeau for appointing Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, to act as chair of a task force on economic growth.
Poilievre called Carney an unelected “ghost finance minister.”
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“If you're going to pull the strings, you should be on the floor of the House of Commons,” he said.
