Commons Passes Confidence Motion
2009-09-19
CBC News
The House of Commons has passed a crucial ways-and-means motion that has temporarily saved Prime Minister Stephen Harper's minority government from potentially facing an election campaign.The Liberals voted against the motion, prompting jeers from across the floor.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said the Conservatives bringing forward the ways-and-means motion is part of a political game and that the renovation tax credit was secure without it.
"Let's just stop these games," he said. "This is ridiculous. The issue is real simple: Do you have confidence in this government or don't you? Yes or no? We said clearly we no longer have confidence."
Until Friday, the Liberals had propped up the Conservative government since 2007, voting in support of 79 consecutive confidence votes.
Friday's confidence vote was the first of the fall Parliament session, which began on Monday amid speculation that the country would be entering an election campaign by the end of the week.
The Conservatives, however, only needed the support of the Bloc or the NDP to survive.