Close X
Sunday, January 12, 2025
ADVT 
National

Government faces third Tory non-confidence vote ahead of potential fiscal hurdle

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 09 Dec, 2024 11:17 AM
  • Government faces third Tory non-confidence vote ahead of potential fiscal hurdle

The Liberals are set to face a third Conservative non-confidence vote in the House of Commons on Monday, but the government is likely to survive with the support of the NDP.

Members of Parliament are supposed to vote on a motion that quotes NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh's criticism of the Liberals and asks the House to agree with Singh and vote to bring down the government. 

Singh said last week he is not going to support the Conservatives, so the motion will likely fail. 

The House is also set to vote Monday on an NDP motion calling on the government to expand the GST break to include things like internet bills and home heating, and also offer the $250 "working Canadians rebate" to fully retired seniors and people who rely on disability benefits. 

Those votes will come after MPs deal with a debate on a point of privilege raised by Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman on Friday.

The Conservatives have two more opposition days scheduled Monday and Tuesday and Leader Pierre Poilievre has 13 more opposition motions on the House of Commons notice paper to choose from.

The party signalled the Monday motion will call for the government to eliminate the GST on new homes sold for under $1 million, and calls on the premiers to enact a similar policy on their portion of the provincial sales tax. 

The other motions they could go with on Tuesday include one calling to eliminate the carbon tax, another to take a tougher stance on bail and drugs, and also one calling for the government to release a draft copy of Canada's public accounts for the last fiscal year. 

Two of the motions also call for a vote of non-confidence in the government.

If a majority of MPs vote in favour of a non-confidence vote, it would bring the government down and likely trigger an immediate election. 

The Conservative motions introduced Monday and Tuesday will both be up for a vote on Tuesday.

As opposition parties continue to use procedural tactics to stall one another's motions, the House is also facing a deadline on Tuesday to vote to approve billions of dollars in government spending.

Treasury Board President Anita Anand has asked Parliament for approval of $21.6 billion to fund programs including housing, dental care and the national school food program.

Those measures must be voted on. If they do not pass, some government programs could face a cash shortfall, including veteran benefits and natural disaster assistance. The spending requests are set to go to a debate and vote late Tuesday night.

The votes were scheduled when House Speaker Greg Fergus paused a two-month-long filibuster to make way for the spending debate and opposition motions.

The House has been gridlocked since late September by a filibuster over a Conservative privilege motion related to the Liberals' refusal to provide unredacted documents about a now-defunct green technology fund to Parliament and to the RCMP. 

On Friday, Lantsman raised a point of privilege about an anti-Israeli war protest that temporarily blocked the entrance to a building housing MP offices last week. She said NDP MPs had been supportive of the protesters, who temporarily disrupted members' ability to get to the House of Commons. 

That debate was scheduled to resume Monday morning, but proceedings began with the resumption of debate on the green technology fund documents. 

MORE National ARTICLES

Party leaders condemn violence at Hindu temple in Brampton amid India consular visit

Party leaders condemn violence at Hindu temple in Brampton amid India consular visit
India's high commission in Canada is condemning violence that erupted Sunday as Indian consular officials visited a Hindu temple in the Toronto suburb of Brampton. Videos circulating on social media appear to show demonstrators holding banners in support of a separate Sikh country called Khalistan clashing with others, including some holding India's national flag.

Party leaders condemn violence at Hindu temple in Brampton amid India consular visit

B.C. port employers to launch lockout at terminals as labour disruption begins

B.C. port employers to launch lockout at terminals as labour disruption begins
Employers at British Columbia ports say they are going ahead with locking out more than 700 foremen across the province after strike activities from union members began. The BC Maritime Employers Association says the lockout will begin on the 4:30 p.m. shift and continue until further notice but will not affect grain or cruise operations.

B.C. port employers to launch lockout at terminals as labour disruption begins

The hallways look the same and where are the bathrooms, say B.C.'s newly elected MLAs

The hallways look the same and where are the bathrooms, say B.C.'s newly elected MLAs
A record number of first-time provincial politicians are about to descend on British Columbia's legislature, looking to make positive contributions for the province and trying to find the washrooms in the 127-year-old building. Fifty-seven new members from three parties, New Democrats, B.C. Conservatives and Greens, were elected to serve first terms in the 93-seat legislature in B.C. last month. 

The hallways look the same and where are the bathrooms, say B.C.'s newly elected MLAs

Poilievre asks premiers to axe their sales taxes on new homes worth under $1 million

Poilievre asks premiers to axe their sales taxes on new homes worth under $1 million
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has written to the provinces' premiers, asking them to eliminate their sales taxes on new homes that are under $1 million. It follows Poilievre's own pledge last week that if he becomes prime minister, he will axe the federal sales tax on new homes sold for under $1 million.

Poilievre asks premiers to axe their sales taxes on new homes worth under $1 million

Trucking, construction expect 'labour crisis' with new temporary worker rules

Trucking, construction expect 'labour crisis' with new temporary worker rules
Dominique Lamothe said the trucking firm she works for will be in trouble once new rules for high-wage temporary foreign workers take effect on Friday. Groupe Nadeau, a Quebec-based trucking company, has a fleet of around 200 trucks and 1,400 trailers serviced by 70 full-time heavy mechanics. Human resources director Lamothe said half those mechanics are temporary foreign workers.

Trucking, construction expect 'labour crisis' with new temporary worker rules

B.C. port employers release details of final offer to foremen union ahead of lockout

B.C. port employers release details of final offer to foremen union ahead of lockout
The BC Maritime Employers Association has released the details of its final offer to the union representing more than 700 foremen ahead of a looming lockout on Monday. The offer, which is dated Wednesday and addressed to International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 President Frank Morena, was released publicly on Saturday. 

B.C. port employers release details of final offer to foremen union ahead of lockout