Conservatives to move non-confidence motion against Liberal government in the new year

The Conservatives say they will move a motion of non-confidence in the federal Liberal government in the new year.

If all goes according to the Conservatives' plan, MPs in the House of Commons could be voting on a motion of non-confidence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government as early as Jan. 30.

In a letter posted to X on Friday, Conservative MP John Williamson, who chairs the standing committee on public accounts, said the committee will meet on Jan. 7 to consider a motion of non-confidence in the government.

Williamson said he will introduce the result of the committee's non-confidence vote to the House on Jan. 27, when Parliament returns from its six-week winter break.

In a press release on Friday, the Conservative Party said it will also move a "simple and straightforward motion" once the House returns, stating that the committee report to the House will make the following recommendation: that the House has no confidence in the prime minister and the Liberal government.

If the motion passes, this opens the door for all MPs to debate a non-confidence motion in the House as early as Jan. 30.

"The Government no longer commands the confidence of Parliament," Williamson wrote on Friday.

He went on to say that parliamentary committees "are a microcosm of the House of Commons," making it appropriate for its members to begin these non-confidence deliberations while Parliament is adjourned.

Should the Liberal members of the committee attempt to filibuster and delay the passage of the non-confidence motion, Williamson said he is prepared to schedule committee meetings throughout January. 

Three non-confidence motions brought by the Tories failed in the fall.

However, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh now says he is ready to bring down the government in such a vote, following former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland's surprise resignation from cabinet on Dec. 16.

In an open letter last week, Singh vowed to bring forward a motion of non-confidence to take down the Liberal government in the new year. It's not clear when that would happen or if he would support one of the other opposition parties' motions.

Shortly after, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told reporters that the House shouldn't wait until it comes back from the winter break in January.

He shared a letter he sent to Governor General Mary Simon asking her to "urgently reconvene Parliament and require a non-confidence vote so the prime minister can judge whether he stays in power."