Trudeau apologizes for unparliamentary language, spars with Poilievre over failed non-confidence motion

OTTAWA — The Trudeau government lives to see another day — for now.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s first non-confidence motion of the fall session was defeated by 211 to 120 votes on Wednesday after the Bloc Québécois, the NDP and the Greens voted against it, ensuring that the Liberal minority in the House continues to govern.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Poilievre got hearty cheers from their caucuses when they rose, respectively, to vote against and in favour of the motion.

“The costly coalition didn’t end when (NDP Leader) Jagmeet Singh ended his agreement with Trudeau. In fact, it got bigger, with the Bloc-NDP-Liberal coalition,” read a statement from the Conservatives in reaction to the result.

The Liberals put out a statement on X after the vote, appealing for donations. “Let’s be clear: Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives want an early election so they can try to execute their hidden agenda to cut taxes for the wealthy and services for everyone else,” it said.

Before the vote, Trudeau and Poilievre sparred during question period on the timing of the next election.

Poilievre, who has been calling for a “carbon tax election” for many months now, asked Trudeau why he would not call the Canadians to the polls right away.

“He wants a climate change election? Let’s have that election in the right time,” said Trudeau as he was drowned by MPs’ applause.

“This is not the time for that. We’re going to continue to work for Canadians,” he added.

Poilievre responded, saying, “He just said he wants a carbon tax election!” he said. “If so, will he call it today?”

Trudeau then shot back by saying that Poilievre would soon see that the House does not have confidence in him as leader of the opposition.

“We are focused on delivering for Canadians the things that actually matter. While he’s focused on slogans and clapping, we’re going to focus on being there for Canadians,” said Trudeau.

The exchange later took an unexpected turn as Poilievre asked if Trudeau had inspected New York consul general Tom Clark’s new $9 million residence during his recent trip to the city.

Poilievre listed the new residence’s luxurious elements, including “a handcrafted copper soaking tub.”

Trudeau answered that he was “engaging with international leaders on fighting climate change, on solving global crises, on standing up unequivocally for Ukraine.”

According to a Conservative source, an unnamed MP asked if Trudeau was “engaging” in the tub.

Trudeau claimed that an MP from the Conservative benches made a joke about him and Clark taking a bath together, accusing the Tories of making “casual homophobic comments.”

“Standing up to bullies requires us to call them out on their crap sometimes, and that is what I will do,” he said.

Trudeau apologized for his crude language after Speaker Greg Fergus asked him to withdraw the comment.

“I withdraw the comment about defecating,” he said. “I know that the word ‘crap’ is unparliamentary.”

Poilievre said that Trudeau was losing his grip. “What we’re seeing from this prime minister today is someone who is erratic and who lost control of himself because he’s so desperate to hold onto power.”

Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, who is openly gay, lambasted the Conservatives for their behaviour.

“I think every Conservative MP needs to check themselves and realize that they’ve got queer people in their ridings and that this is not a locker room from the 1980s,” he said.

Poilievre has already signalled that he is prepared to table as many confidence votes as it takes to bring down the government.

His party will be debating another opposition day motion on Thursday which will also have to do about non-confidence towards the Liberals, with a vote expected in the following days.

But the Bloc has already said it is giving the Liberals a deadline of until October 29 to support two of its private member’s bills — to raise the Old Age Security for all seniors above 65 years old and to protect supply management from future trade negotiations.

If the Liberals don’t ensure that those bills make it into law, the Bloc has said it will withdraw its support and call for an election.

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