Trudeau survives second confidence motion in Canada parliament (updated)

FutureCore Co

01/10/2024 20:43

(Updates with result paragraphs 1, 2, 6)
       OTTAWA, Oct 1 (Reuters) - 
    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau survived a second
parliamentary confidence motion in less than a week on Tuesday
after opposition parties vowed to keep his minority Liberal
government alive for now.
    Legislators in the House of Commons voted 207-121 to defeat
a bid by the official opposition Conservative Party to topple
Trudeau, who faces increasing voter fatigue after almost nine
years in power.
    Last Thursday he easily brushed off an initial Conservative
motion to bring him down.
        The Conservatives, who have a big lead in the polls
ahead of an election that must be held by end-October 2025, say
Canadians cannot afford a planned increase in the federal carbon
tax and accuse Trudeau of presiding over high prices and rising
crime.
    To trigger an election they need the backing of every single
opposition legislator.
    But the separatist Bloc Quebecois, which wants independence
for the province of Quebec, backed Trudeau. The party said last
week it would back Trudeau until at least the end of this month
in return for boosting seniors' pensions.
    Even if the Bloc does turn against Trudeau, he could still
be saved by the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP).
    A Nanos poll released on Sept 27 showed the Conservatives on
42% public support, far ahead of the NDP on 22% and the Liberals
on 21%. Given this would result in a huge Conservative victory
if replicated in an election, the NDP could be tempted to keep
Trudeau in power, in the hope its own fortunes might recover.

 (Reporting by David Ljunggren
Editing by Gareth Jones and David Gregorio)
 ((david.ljunggren@tr.com; +1 647 480 7891;))