Ottawa:Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday survived a vote of no confidence in the first major test for his minority Liberal government whose popularity has waned after nine years in office.
His tenuous grip on power, however, is already set to face more challenges in the coming weeks, with the main opposition Conservatives vowing to try again to topple the government as early as Tuesday.
Following a heated debate that saw members of Parliament trade insults and slam their fists on desks, they voted 211 to 120 against the Conservative motion to unseat the Liberals.
Far ahead in public opinion polls, Tory leader Pierre Poilievre has been itching for a snap election since the leftist New Democratic Party (NDP) earlier this month tore up a coalition agreement with the Liberals, leaving the Trudeau administration vulnerable to being toppled.
A combative Poilievre railed against Trudeau for what he said was a failure to address soaring costs of living, a housing crisis and crime, while doubling
the national debt.
The promise of Canada, “after nine years of Liberal government, is broken,” he said during a Commons debate on Tuesday.
But other opposition parties, whose support is needed to bring down the Liberals, have pushed back against his right-wing agenda.
After the vote, Liberal House leader Karina Gould accused the Tories of “playing games.”
“We are going to get back to work and do the hard work of governing this country,” she added.