Canada’s Trudeau survives no-confidence vote in latest test for his gov’t
Al JazeeraSep 23
Canada: Trudeau Survives Third No-Confidence Vote
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Above: Justin Trudeau in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Nov. 29, 2024. Image copyright: Chandan Khanna/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government survived a no-confidence vote, 180 to 152, on Monday, as the Jagmeet Singh-led New Democrats opposed the motion brought by the Conservatives.
This is the third failed parliamentary confidence vote since the Liberal-New Democrats deal collapsed in September. If successful, the vote would trigger a new federal election.
The Spin
Right narrative
The New Democrats have put their leader's interests ahead of the country's, as it's clear that they opted not to call for an early election before February 2025 to ensure that Singh will be eligible for a House of Commons pension. Until then, Trudeau will continue in office despite his administration blowing past its self-imposed deficit target.
Left narrative
The New Democrats did end their deal with the Liberals, but that doesn't mean that they had to help the Conservatives topple the government. After all, the Liberals are still the lesser evil — and all the alarmism from the right wing over the country's finances, despite Canada having the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio and deficit in the G7, reasserts that.
