Federal election averted as Liberals survive confidence vote

By Mike Hall and The Canadian Press

OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) — Canadians won’t be voting in a snap federal election this fall after the Liberals survived a confidence vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

MPs voted 180-146 to defeat the motion.

It was triggered by a Conservative motion to create a special committee to investigate the federal government’s dealings with the WE Charity and to look into Ottawa’s handling of COVID-19 spending.

The Greens and two Independent MPs also voted against it, while the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois voted in favour.

Earlier in the day, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said that his party would not be the one to force Canadians to head to the polls during the second wave of COVID-19.

READ ALSO: NDP won’t trigger federal election over proposed anticorruption committee: Singh

“New Democrats will not give Prime Minister Trudeau the election he is looking for,” Singh said before the vote. “We’re not going to be used as an excuse or a cover. We’re going to continue to do the work that we need to do. We are voting against an election. We are going to continue to work for people.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had declared the vote on the Conservative motion a confidence measure, meaning that a vote in the Commons to pass it would have triggered an election.

The Liberal Party won re-election last year, but does not have the majority of seats in Parliament and must rely on at least one opposition party to remain in power.

Prior to the confidence vote, Greens Leader Annamie Paul said her party’s three MPs would vote against it. Paul added the party was voting in what it believes is in the country’s best interest.

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