Opposition Moves to Challenge Trudeau’s Government

By Ismail Shakil

OTTAWA (Reuters) – A Canadian parliamentary committee, chaired by Conservative Party lawmaker John Williamson, plans to hold meetings during the legislative recess to expedite a vote of non-confidence against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government.

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee will commence meetings on January 7 to deliberate and vote on the non-confidence motion, which must ultimately pass in the House of Commons to lead to a government defeat. Parliament is scheduled to reconvene on January 27.

Trudeau, who has been in power since 2015, is increasingly pressured to resign following the departure of his former Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, on December 16. Williamson expressed his readiness to conduct meetings throughout January, targeting a non-confidence vote as early as January 30 — significantly ahead of the usual timeline for opposition motions.

Trudeau’s situation has worsened since Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), indicated his intention to destabilize the minority Liberal government to trigger an election. Williamson noted, “It is now clear that the Liberal Government does not have the confidence of Parliament,” with Conservative, Bloc Quebecois, and NDP members collectively indicating support for the non-confidence vote.

Despite this, Trudeau retains the option to prorogue parliament, effectively ending the current session and preventing a non-confidence vote. Singh has mentioned a potential non-confidence motion post-recess but has not clarified how his party would respond to motions from other parties. Unity among the opposition parties is essential for the motion’s success.

The committee led by Williamson consists of five Liberal MPs, four Conservative MPs, and one each from the NDP and Bloc Quebecois. For a government to remain in power, it must maintain the confidence of the House of Commons. Losing a confidence vote tied to budgets or spending typically initiates an election campaign immediately.