[Canadian] MPs topple Liberal government, trigger election

CBC ^ | November 28, 2005 | CBC

[Heatseeker]

The opposition parties banded together Monday to defeat the Liberal minority government and trigger an election that is expected to culminate in a mid-January vote.

The House passed an historic no-confidence motion exactly one year and five months after Canadian voters elected the Liberals.

Prime Minister Paul Martin will now have to go see Governor General Michaëlle Jean Tuesday morning and ask her to dissolve Parliament.

The Liberal defeat marks the first time a government has fallen on a straight motion of no-confidence in Parliament.

Other minority governments have been forced into elections after losing budget votes or censure motions interpreted as loss of confidence.

Last week, Opposition Leader Stephen Harper officially tabled the motion of no-confidence which read: "That this House has lost confidence in the government."

The Liberals have 133 seats, followed by the Conservatives with 98, the Bloc Quebecois with 53 and the NDP with 18. There are four seats held by Independents.

According to a poll conducted by Environics Research for the CBC, 35 per cent of decided voters said they would vote Liberal. The Conservatives came in at 30 per cent and the NDP were picked by 20 per cent.

With a margin of error +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20, the poll puts the Liberals and Conservatives at a virtual dead heat.

Federal elections have to be held on a Monday and the campaigns have to be at least 36 days long. Martin is expected to call for a slightly longer campaign, setting the vote for mid-January, either the 16th or the 23rd, with an agreement among the parties to take a holiday break and stop campaigning between Dec. 23 and Jan. 3.

An eight-week campaign would be the longest the country has seen in two decades.

The last time a government fell at the hands of the opposition was Joe Clark's Conservative government in 1979.

Monday's vote means a number of bills will die on the order paper, among them an act to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana and an animal cruelty bill.

[Heatseeker]

Huzzah for Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada!

[furquhart]

171 votes for. Number against not yet declared.

98 Tories + Bloc + NDP

[xrp]

What's Tom Daschle's status?

[Para-Ord.45]

Non-Confidence Motion :

Yeas 171

Nays 133

The Libranos lose.

[JRandomFreeper]

Another shall arise to take it's place..... (Booming voice off)

Maybe the new boss won't be as liberal as the old boss.

Prayers for our northern neighbor as they transact yet another bloodless transition of power. Once upon a time, these things included beheadings and the like.

/john

[furquhart]

You're damned right they lose.

It's about time something went right in this country.

And man, oh, man, is the media spinning. I hope that some of these reporters don't pass out.

[dead]

I hope the uncertain political situation does not prompt a southbound flood of ghastly bad singers and hack comedians, eh.

[JRandomFreeper]

What's Tom Daschle's status?

Short.

/john

[Congressman Billybob]

The Canadian government has fallen. The Dorothy Parker comment on hearing of the death of President Calvin Coolidge, comes to mind. Told that taciturn President had passed away, she said, "How can they tell?"

Congressman Billybob

Latest column: "MSNBC Gets It Right on Illegal Immigration"

[Para-Ord.45]

" And man, oh, man, is the media spinning "



Media," Stephen Harper is evil,he`s Satan.Vote Liberal."

[Congressman Billybob]

Two LOL comments in a row. Three if you count Dorothy Parker's bon mot. Freepers are a funny bunch. That's funny ha-ha, not funny weird. You know what I meant....

Congressman Billybob

Latest column: "MSNBC Gets It Right on Illegal Immigration"

[eureka!]

Kewl....

[Monkey King]

What's Tom Daschle's status?

Short.

No, no, no; Deeply Saddened.

[Monkey King]

What's Tom Daschle's status?

Short.

No, no, no; Deeply Saddened.

[JRandomFreeper]

Nope. He's short. And I don't mean that he just got orders for a PCS. 8>)

/john

[Southack]

First, Schroeder and Fischer's left-wing government fell in Germany to conservatives...next, Martin's liberal Canadian government fell, and soon, Chirac's government in France will fall...

...Which is to say, all of the major governments that opposed the Iraq War have fallen or are about to fall.

In contrast, the governments that supported the Iraq War, save for Spain, have all been re-elected (e.g. GWB in the U.S., Howard in Australia, Koizumi in Japan, Poland, Blair in Britain, etc.).

Sort of gives lie to the liberal myth that the Iraq War was/is unpopular...

[FFIGHTER]

The liberals will do anything to remain in power. They will do anything and everything to achieve their evil goals of the domination and servitude of Canadians to the State.

[Longbow1969]

Betcha the Liberals win the upcoming elections. A majority of Canadians are hopelessly wedded to socialism - just as their European comrades are. Canada, at least for the time being, is basically hopeless.

[festus]

Is a conservative MP in canada like a John McCain in America ?

[curtisgardner]

Good point. BTW, is there a vote that is required or scheduled in France soon so we can boot out Chirac?