Tories Introduce New Non-Confidence Motion, Bloc and NDP Unlikely to Support

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre rises during question period, in Ottawa, June 19, 2024. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

The Conservative Party has introduced a new non-confidence motion to take down the minority Liberal government, a day after a previous motion to do so failed in the House of Commons.

On Sept. 25, the Tories’ first non-confidence motion was defeated, receiving 211 “nay” votes and 120 “yea” votes, with the Liberals, NDP, Bloc Québécois, and the Greens voting against, and the Conservatives voting in favour. The motion had simply read, “The House has no confidence in the Prime Minister and the Government.”

The new motion, introduced on Sept. 26 reads, “After nine years, the government has doubled housing costs, taxed food, punished work, unleashed crime and is the most centralized government in Canadian history, the house has lost confidence in the government.” It also calls for Canadians to be given the option to “axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime.”

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh recently left the supply-and-confidence agreement he signed with the Liberals in 2022, which had the NDP support the government in confidence matters until June 2025 in exchange for Liberal support of NDP priorities.

Singh had previously said his party would vote against the motion and not “play Pierre Poilievre’s games.”

The Liberals need the support of either the NDP or Bloc Québécois to survive non-confidence votes.

Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet announced on Sept. 25 that the Liberals will need to pass two Bloc private member’s bills before Oct. 29 or the party would begin talks with other parties to bring down the government. Bill C-319 would increase Old Age Security pensions by 10 percent for seniors aged 65 to 74, while Bill C-282 would protect the supply management system in international trade agreements.

Blanchet said the Oct. 29 deadline was chosen to provide enough time for the government to steer the bills’ adoption, or provide enough of a runway to hold a snap election before Christmas.

Debate on New Motion

During Sept. 26 debate in the House of Commons on the new motion, Conservative MP Dan Albas said he had personally heard from many of his constituents who want an early election to be held.

“It is well past time to give the people their say and have a carbon tax election,” he said.

“I ask my friends from throughout all this place to start putting the pressure on this government and to vote in support of this motion,” he added.

Liberal MP and House Leader Karina Gould said it was “a little awkward” that the Tories were introducing another non-confidence motion “just a few hours after the House voted non-confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.”

She said the Liberals, Bloc Québécois and NDP wanted to work for Canadians, while accusing the Conservatives of trying to “obstruct the business of the House.”

Bloc MP Christine Normandin said the party would not vote in favour of the new non-confidence motion, and that her party’s strategy was “when it’s good for Quebec, we'll vote for it.” She said that while the Bloc does not have confidence in the government, the party has “confidence in ourselves and in our ability to make gains for Quebec.”

NDP MP Heather McPherson said she would not support the Tories’ new non-confidence motion “or the next five ridiculous motions I assume that they will bring forward.”

“We need to be making sure that the things that Canadians need that will make their life more affordable, easier, and better, are being done. That’s our job in this house. That’s that’s what we do here,” she said, citing the dental care and pharmacare deals her party made with the Liberal government and her concerns of Tory “cuts” to the programs.