Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government survived a confidence vote in parliament.
Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau’s minority Liberal government survived a key confidence vote after Parliamentarians voted 177 to 152 in support of the most recent Throne Speech, which laid out a framework for pandemic recovery and was written by Trudeau and his aides, but delivered as is tradition by Governor General Julie Payette, Queen Elizabeth’s representative in Canada, on Sept. 23.
This was the second time the Liberals have faced a confidence vote since Parliament returned in late September.
Lawmakers Among the other parties, the left-leaning New Democrats said they would support the speech after securing from the Liberals new sick leave benefits for Canadians and an extension on coronavirus support benefits. The Conservative Party, the Bloc Quebecois and the Green Party – under newly elected leader Annamie Paul – all voted against the speech. According to The Washington Post, the Conservatives criticized it as “another speech full of Liberal buzzwords and grand gestures” that paid no attention to the struggles of the oil and gas sector. The Bloc Québécois lambasted it for infringing on areas of provincial jurisdiction and for failing to provide greater health-care transfers to the provinces. WithTrudeau’s government reduced to a minority in last year’s federal elections, the current Canadian PM has been reliant on the backing of at least one main opposition party to pass bills and stay in power. He secured support for the speech from the New Democrats after revising a relief bill to expand access to paid sick leave and benefits for workers left unemployed by the pandemic.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has already caused over 171,000 cases and 9,530 deaths in Canada, according to federal government statistics.
