Trudeau Survives Confidence Vote Amid Political Turmoil

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau survived a vote of confidence after the main opposition failed to end nine years of Liberal Party rule. Despite overcoming this challenge, Trudeau faces additional political hurdles, including demands from the Bloc Quebecois and a looming vote on a budget measure.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau easily survived a vote of confidence on Wednesday after his main political rival failed to muster enough support to end nine years of Liberal Party rule.

Legislators in the House of Commons voted 211-120 to defeat a motion by the official opposition Conservative party declaring a lack of confidence in Trudeau's minority Liberal government. Trudeau, whose popularity has slumped amid rising prices and a housing crisis, became more politically vulnerable this month when the smaller New Democratic Party tore up a 2022 deal that was keeping him in power until an election scheduled for the end of October 2025.

Despite surviving the vote, other challenges loom for Trudeau. Earlier in the day, the leader of the separatist Bloc Quebecois said he would work to bring down the government unless it quickly agreed to the Bloc's demands. Trudeau's Liberals will soon face a second vote on one of its budget measures, which is also a matter of confidence, but they are expected to survive that as well. Officials said the vote could take place on Wednesday or Thursday.

The right-of-center Conservatives have a big lead in the opinion polls ahead of an election that must be called by the end of October 2025. The Conservatives say they want an election as soon as possible on the grounds that Canadians cannot afford a planned increase in the federal carbon tax. They also argue that federal spending and crime have ballooned under the Liberals.

Trudeau, while acknowledging public unhappiness, has accused the Conservatives of playing politics rather than focusing on the needs of the people. Bloc leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said he would keep Trudeau in power at least until the end of December if he gave more money to seniors and promised to protect the system of tariffs and quotas that protect dairy farmers, many of whom live in Quebec.

If the government did not formally do this by Oct. 29, the Bloc would talk to opposition parties with a view to bringing down Trudeau, he told reporters. However, to succeed, he would need the support of the NDP, which also backed Trudeau on Wednesday. Polls indicate the party would also be in trouble if an election were called now.

Trudeau played down polls showing his party's unpopularity, saying they reflect Canadians' frustrations with daily life. "People are taking a lot out on me for understandable reasons. I've been here, and I've been steering us through all these things, and people are sometimes looking at change," he told U.S. late-night television host Stephen Colbert on Monday.

(With inputs from agencies.)