Canadian lawmaker plans push to oust Trudeau government in early January

A parliamentary committee, led by a Conservative Party lawmaker, is set to meet during the legislative recess in early January with the aim of fast-tracking the defeat of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government.

John Williamson, Chair of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, announced on December 27 that the committee will begin meetings on January 7 to consider and vote on a motion of non-confidence in the Liberal government, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media sources.

The motion, if passed, would ultimately lead to the government’s downfall in the House of Commons.

Although Parliament will officially reconvene on January 27, Williamson, a Conservative MP, has indicated his intention to push for a non-confidence vote as early as January 30 — weeks ahead of the usual timeline for such motions.

The pressure on Trudeau has intensified following the resignation of his former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on December 16. Trudeau, who has been in power since 2015, faces growing calls for his resignation.

Williamson noted that the opposition parties, including the Conservatives, Bloc Quebecois, and NDP, now have the majority of MPs and are united in their support for a non-confidence motion. He emphasized that it was clear the Liberal government no longer had the confidence of Parliament.

However, Trudeau may still have the option to prorogue Parliament, formally ending the current session and preventing a vote on the non-confidence motion.

Meanwhile, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who had previously helped prop up the Liberal government, announced last week that he would seek to bring down the minority government, further intensifying the political crisis. Singh has indicated that he will introduce a non-confidence motion after Parliament reconvenes, but it remains uncertain how his party will vote on motions from other opposition parties. For the motion to succeed, all opposition parties must unite behind a single proposal.

The Williamson-led committee includes five Liberal MPs, four Conservatives, and one each from the NDP and Bloc Quebecois. In Canada, governments must maintain the confidence of the House of Commons, with votes on budgets and key spending considered confidence motions. If the government loses a confidence vote, it falls, and an election is usually called immediately.

By Tamilla Hasanova