Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has written a letter to Governor General Mary Simon, urging her to recall Parliamentarians as early as possible for a non-confidence vote.
His letter was issued shortly after NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, whose party was the last one supporting the minority Liberal government,
issued a statement that he would be tabling a non-confidence motion to bring down the government in the next sitting of the House of Commons.
The House of Commons is on break until Jan. 27, 2025, and opposition parties can table non-confidence motions on allocated opposition days once the House returns.
Poilievre’s Dec. 20 letter asks Simon to tell Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that he must “either dissolve Parliament and call an election or reconvene Parliament” before the end of 2024 for a non-confidence vote. Canada’s constitution stipulates that a prime minister may only remain in power as long as he retains the confidence of Parliament, the Conservative leader wrote. He noted that the governor general plays a crucial role in upholding this constitutional principle.
“It is incumbent on you, the Governor General, to confer with the Prime Minister to ensure that he understands his constitutional duty,“ Poilievre wrote. ”If he is not willing to fulfil it, it falls to you to act to ensure that he does.”
With Parliament adjourned for the holidays, however, it is unlikely that Simon would be able to reconvene it, even though it’s technically still in session.
In his Dec. 20 statement pulling support from the Liberals, Singh said the governing party did not “deserve another chance” after its performance on housing, health care, and affordability.
Singh was also critical of the Conservatives in his letter, saying the party would give CEOs and big business “anything they want” while making cuts to government housing and health care programs to pay for it.
Poilievre criticized Singh during a Dec. 20 press conference for proposing a non-confidence vote in early 2025, arguing that this could lead to “months and months and months of this total chaos, if Jagmeet Singh gets his way and conveniently will get him his pension.”
Conservatives have been critical of the NDP for voting with the government in past confidence motions.
“If Jagmeet Singh this time is telling the truth, which remains to be seen, then he will join with me and write to the Governor General,” Poilievre said. “So in fact, I am giving my letter not only to the governor general, but I’m giving it to the leaders of the NDP and Bloc, and I’m encouraging them to write the governor general as well.”
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet has also said a confidence vote must happen as soon as possible to trigger an election in early 2025.
“There is no scenario in which Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, or its replacement, will survive budgets, throne speeches or opposition days. I still believe [the election] needs to be early 2025,” he said in a Dec. 20
social media post.
Poilievre and Singh’s statements were released the same day Trudeau
shuffled his cabinet. The shuffle follows the sudden resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland at the beginning of the week, as well as the resignation of Sean Fraser as housing minister.
