House Resumes With New Dynamics at Play Following Cancelled NDP Deal

MP Karina Gould, now government house leader, is shown during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Oct. 17, 2022. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

MPs are back in the House of Commons today under a normal minority government framework, with the Liberals having lost formal NDP support and needing to find backing from any one of the opposition parties to pass legislation.

“We will work case by case, legislation by legislation, with whichever party wants to work with us,” Government House Leader Karina Gould told reporters in Ottawa on Sept. 16.

Gould did not lay out a clear agenda for the fall, only saying that there are important pieces of legislation before the House of Commons.

Bills being debated on Sept. 16 include a Tory private member’s bill to combat auto theft and government Bill C-71, which seeks to broaden access to Canadian citizenship.

Gould also criticized Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre, calling him “irresponsible” for remarks he made to his caucus on Sept. 15. Poilievre said the constant raising of the carbon tax will create a “nuclear winter” for the Canadian economy.

Liberals and Conservatives have been fighting a pitched battle around the carbon tax, or fuel charge, since Poilievre became party leader in late 2022. The charge applies to various hydrocarbons and currently adds over 17 cents to a litre of gas in some provinces and territories. It is expected to rise over 37 cents per litre by 2030.

Liberals say the fuel charge is revenue-neutral and that 8 out of 10 Canadians get more back in carbon rebates, whereas the Tories say Canadians are negatively impacted as the tax hampers the economy and creates inflation.

Poilievre promised last week to table a non-confidence motion at the earliest opportunity to trigger a “carbon tax election.”

While the Liberals lost formal NDP support after it backed out of the supply and confidence agreement, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh would not say whether he’s lost confidence in the government. Singh said his party will consider each vote separately.

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet has said his party is not seeking to trigger an election simply to replace the Liberals with the Conservatives. Blanchet also said he plans to extract gains from the Liberals if they need support on a vote to stay in power.

The schedule is not yet clear on when Poilievre will have the opportunity to table his non-confidence motion. There are seven planned opposition days during the 11-week fall sitting.

Asked by reporters if the Liberals could delay scheduling those opposition days, Gould said they would be allotted following the “normal process like we usually do.”

‘Got the Message’

The House reconvened on the same day Canadians in two ridings are voting to send their new representatives to Ottawa.

The NDP will attempt to retain its stronghold in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood-Transcona, whereas the Liberals seek to keep their stronghold of Lasalle-Émard-Verdun in Montreal.

The contests will be closely watched after the last June byelection produced a major upset with the Tories winning the riding of Toronto-St.Paul’s, which was previously held by the Liberals since 1993.

Gould said her party “certainly got the message” from that loss and have “spent the summer reflecting on what that means.”

Asked about what changes have been made, she said the Liberals are now “very clearly focused on ensuring that Canadians are at the centre of everything that we do moving forward.”