NDP MP Charlie Angus says he would break with his party to vote against a non-confidence motion that would bring down the Liberal government and launch an election.
“I will not vote with Pierre Poilieve to force an election because his vision is antithetical to everything I believe,” he said in a Dec. 28 Facebook post.
The New Democrat MP said the incoming inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened 25 percent tariffs on Canada, poses a serious threat to the country and that “there are moments when we must put country first.”
“Canadians deserve a plan, not political brinkmanship. I will go back to Parliament to try my best,” he said.
Angus was responding to a social media post by The Globe and Mail’s Robert Fife, who said the NDP plans to put forth its own non-confidence motion at the public accounts committee. The Conservatives have said they plan to reconvene the committee early in the new year to table a non-confidence motion, which could be voted on in the House of Commons as soon as Jan. 30.
A successful non-confidence vote would require the Conservatives, NDP, and Bloc Québécois to vote in favour.
Conservative MP and Committee Chair John Williamson has said that if any Liberal committee members attempt to filibuster and delay the motion’s passage, he will respond by scheduling additional meetings throughout January.
During the last sitting of Parliament, the Conservatives introduced three non-confidence motions to bring down the Liberal government and trigger an election, all of which were unsuccessful. While the New Democrats voted against all three of the motions, their leader Jagmeet Singh announced on Dec. 20 that his party would table a non-confidence motion in early 2025 to bring down the government.
Singh’s announcement came at the end of a tumultuous week that saw Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resign from cabinet hours before she was set to table the Fall Economic Statement. This led all major party leaders and several Liberal MPs to call for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign. In the weeks since, the Atlantic Liberal caucus has also called for Trudeau’s resignation.
The NDP previously had a supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberals, under which they supported the governing party in key confidence votes in exchange for legislation sought by the NDP. Singh ended the agreement on Sept. 4, saying his party would decide on how to vote on future confidence motions on a case-by-case basis.
In April 2024, Angus, along with some other NDP MPs, announced they would not be seeking re-election. Angus, who was first elected to Parliament in 2004, said the decision was due to upcoming changes to his riding that would add an additional 20,000 square kilometres of territory.
