‘A carbon tax election’: MPs debate Conservative non-confidence motion in Liberal government

While MPs in the House of Commons debate the Conservatives’ non-confidence motion today, the Liberals have turned it into a referendum on Conservative policies.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called for “a carbon tax election,” and a return to what he called “the Canadian promise” in a 20-minute speech kicking off debate Tuesday morning.

“That promise, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal prime minister, is broken,” Poilievre said.

The Conservative motion, which states “That the House has no confidence in the Prime Minister and the government,” is being debated Tuesday. MPs will vote on Wednesday.

Poilievre first promised this motion weeks ago, after NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s announcement he’d scrapped the supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberals. The end of the pact meant that, for the first time in two-and-a-half years, NDP support of the government was no longer guaranteed.

However, Singh and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet confirmed last week they’ll vote against the motion, throwing cold water on the possibility of toppling the government and going into a snap election.

Poilievre, in his speech in the House of Commons on Tuesday, reiterated his plan to “axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime,” and again promised “this will be a carbon tax referendum, a carbon tax election.”

“That is our vision,” Poilievre concluded. “That is our purpose. Let’s bring it home.”

But during question period, Government House Leader Karina Gould pivoted the discussion to focus on the Conservatives.

“Today what we are doing is demonstrating that this House does not have confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada,” Gould said.

The Conservatives have had a double-digit lead in the polls for more than a year, with some pollsters predicting an election held now would likely yield a majority Conservative government.

The House Speaker interrupted debate several times on Tuesday to call MPs to order.

The Conservatives will have another opportunity to table a non-confidence motion during their next opposition day, scheduled for Thursday.

They’ll also have three more chances between now and the Christmas holidays.

In response to Poilievre’s speech earlier in the day, Gould accused the Conservative leader of celebrating “revisionist history,” for the portions of his speech lauding his party’s previous time in government.

She said she remembers Canadians being “ashamed” of the country’s international reputation and its lack of climate policy under the last Conservative government.

During the debate, Singh used his time to ask directly whether Poilievre would get rid of the dental-care plan brought in as a cornerstone policy of the supply-and-confidence agreement.

Poilievre didn’t specifically answer, saying instead he wanted to “correct the falsehoods” about his record on health care, and criticizing the NDP’s pharmacare proposals.

“We’re going to vote today against Conservative cuts and against the Conservative motion,” Singh said, after accusing the Conservatives of cutting health care under former prime minister Stephen Harper, and of planning to cut dental care and pensions if Poilievre’s Conservatives form government.

Singh also took aim at the Liberals, criticizing their record on health care and calling them “too weak to stand up to” Conservative premiers.

Without the guaranteed support of the NDP, the Liberals need support from other parties to stay in power. Blanchet and the Bloc, for their part, are leveraging their new voting power to push the Liberals to vote in favour of expanding and increasing pensions for seniors.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland was asked Tuesday about the Bloc’s demand and whether that’s something the federal government can afford. While she didn’t directly answer, she cited existing Liberal policies for seniors.

“When it comes to further support for seniors, we are having good conversations about all possible economic measures with both the Bloc and the NDP, and those conversations are ongoing.”

While his government’s record was being debated on Parliament Hill, the prime minister was in New York City, where he faced questions from reporters about his leadership.

“Obviously, the Conservatives are very much thinking about power right now,” Trudeau said. “I’m thinking about how we can best help Canadians.”

With files from CTV News National Correspondent Rachel Aiello