VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Canadian Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Wednesday his party plans to table a motion of no confidence “as soon as possible” in hopes of bringing down Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.
Poilievre called on Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, to support the motion and call new elections.
“Will Jagmeet Singh betray Canadians again?” Poilievre said at a news conference in Ottawa. “It’s time for the NDP to put up or shut up.”
Singh declined to say whether his party would support the Conservatives.
“I’ve said that in every vote, we’ll look at the vote and make our decision,” Singh said at a party meeting in Montreal. “We’ll determine what’s best for Canadians. Unlike Pierre Poilievre who wants to play games, we want to actually get things done for Canadians.”
Singh dismissed Poilievre’s demand for a response before Monday’s two by-elections.
“I am telling Pierre Poilievre directly that I am not going to listen to you,” Singh said.
Just last week, the NDP withdrew from a confidence agreement with Trudeau’s minority Liberal Party government that helped keep it in power. The deal, reached in 2022, called for the NDP to support the federal government in no-confidence votes in exchange for progress on shared priorities.
“We have decided that we can no longer continue with the agreement,” Singh said Wednesday. “Now we are back to a standard minority government, where we make a decision based on every vote that is before us.”
The next Canadian federal election is scheduled for October 2025.
The Liberals currently hold 154 seats in the 338th Canadian House of Commons. The Conservatives hold 119 and the NDP 24. The Bloc Québécois, a party based only in Quebec and committed to Quebec sovereignty, holds 32 seats.
Canada’s parliament is expected to reconvene on Monday.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois has said his party is willing to support the government if the Liberals agree on issues such as more support for seniors and giving Quebec more powers over immigration.
Most polls show the Conservatives far ahead of the Liberals, with the NDP in third place. Trudeau is also very unpopular with many voters.
Speaking at a caucus meeting in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Trudeau was asked about comments by Alexandra Mendes, a Quebec Liberal MP, who said in a French-language interview that many of her constituents believe he should step down as party leader.
“In a democracy, we have all kinds of different perspectives and it’s important that we have that, including in the Liberal Party,” he said. “The reality is that we’re all focused on what we need to do to make sure that Canadians are supported and have confidence in the future.”
Trudeau said his government will continue to roll out programs that help Canadians, such as dental care for seniors and child care.
In June, the Liberals suffered a major surprise in a by-election, losing a seat in Toronto after holding a seat for 30 years.
Two more by-elections will be held on Monday, in Montreal and Winnipeg.
Trudeau was asked whether the election would be a referendum on his leadership.
“All midterm elections are very important,” he said. “It’s a time when voters can really show that they care. But at the same time, they can also show their ambition for the future.”
Poilievre also attacked Trudeau for appointing Mark Carney, a former governor of both the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, to chair an economic growth task force.
Poilievre called Carney an unelected “ghost finance minister.”
“If you’re going to pull the strings, you should be on the floor of the House of Commons,” he said.
