(Bloomberg) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s main political opponent tried to force an early election on Wednesday, but the effort failed due to a lack of support from the other opposition parties in Parliament.
Most read from Bloomberg
It’s a scenario that could play out many more times in the coming months, as Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party is eager to call an election while the smaller parties are more interested in cutting deals with Trudeau’s Liberal Party to achieve policy goals.
The next election is currently scheduled for October 2025, but because the Liberals do not have a majority in parliament, opposition parties could force an early election if they defeat the government on a key issue.
In this case, Poilievre said he was seeking an election focused on the Trudeau government’s national carbon tax, which has been in effect since 2019. Poilievre argues that the policy has contributed to a cost-of-living crisis for Canadians by driving up the price of transportation fuel and home heating. Liberals point out that most residents get more money back in rebates than they pay in taxes.
“This will be a referendum on a carbon tax and an election on a carbon tax,” Poilievre said in a speech to parliament as he introduced his motion to bring down the government.
Poilievre’s Conservatives are well ahead in the polls, suggesting he would win a large majority government if an election were held soon. But he has no other allies willing to send voters to the polls now.
“Why the rush to trigger an election? Isn’t this the perfect opportunity to negotiate and make progress?” said Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, a lawmaker for the Bloc Quebecois, a party representing the French-speaking province of Quebec, in response to Poilievre’s speech.
Bloc leader Yves-Francois Blanchet set an Oct. 29 deadline for the Liberal government to implement measures his party prioritizes: pension improvements and protections for some agricultural sectors in trade negotiations. If Trudeau misses that deadline, Blanchet said he would begin talks with the Conservatives and other opposition parties to topple the government.
Meanwhile, New Democratic Party lawmakers accused Poilievre of seeking an election to cut health care programs. The NDP had a formal power-sharing deal with Trudeau’s Liberals until earlier this month, and as a condition of that deal, the Liberals had introduced new programs to cover dental care and some drug costs.
Most read from Bloomberg Businessweek
©2024 Bloomberg LP