Liberals to face another round of confidence motions as deadlock ends
The minority Liberal government will soon face another round of confidence motions from the opposition Conservatives after weeks of parliamentary deadlock.
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus intervened on Monday to end the gridlock, allowing a temporary compromise ahead of a looming deadline for spending bills. Under the agreement, the Conservative Party will have two opposition days this week to introduce bills and motions, with votes on departmental budgets set to follow next week.
The deadlock, which has paralyzed the House for nearly two months, stemmed from the Liberal Party’s refusal to release documents related to the so-called “Green Slush Fund.” The opposition have used a filibuster in an attempt to force the release of the documents, delaying progress on other business.
The upcoming opposition days will allow the Conservatives to introduce a confidence motion, potentially triggering an early election if the opposition parties indicate they no longer have confidence in the Liberal government. The first vote on a motion could occur as early as Monday.
The compromise also provides a window for the House to vote on some departmental spending next week, which had been held up due to the ongoing impasse.