MPs adopt Bloc motion saying it would be irresponsible to hold election amid COVID-19

JustAGuy1

Diamond Member
Aug 18, 2019
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The House of Commons has adopted a Bloc Quebecois motion that says it would be irresponsible to hold a federal election during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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There were 327 MPs from all parties voting in favour of the motion, which says it is the government’s responsibility to do everything possible to avoid calling voters to the polls before the end of the pandemic.

Ontario Independent MP Derek Sloan was the only one who voted against it.

READ MORE: COVID-19: Bloc Québécois leader says next federal election campaign could begin in mid-August
The Liberals had attempted to amend the motion to say it is the responsibility of all parties to avoid a pandemic election, but the Bloc rejected that amendment.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, whose party has been supporting the minority Liberal government on confidence votes, said earlier today that if the Liberals provoke an election, it would be because they want more power.

He said holding a federal election would come at the cost of Canadians, as COVID-19 cases are still rising in Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador.


Surely the Gov is ONLY trying to "protect" all of you Canadians.
 
This is one of the problems with parliamentary governments; without fixed terms, they can find ways to keep themselves in place. The U.S. held its usual Presidential and legislative elections even in the midst of civil war in 1964. Controlled conditions would make elections possible in the covid world.
 
This is one of the problems with parliamentary governments; without fixed terms, they can find ways to keep themselves in place. The U.S. held its usual Presidential and legislative elections even in the midst of civil war in 1964. Controlled conditions would make elections possible in the covid world.

We do have fixed terms. Elections are called after a non-confidence vote, or after a party has had been in power for four years, whichever comes first.

Our last federal election was in October 2019. While we are not required to hold another election until 2023, Trudeau doesn’t hold the majority of seats in the House and minority governments tend to last about two years on average.

Given the success of Trudeau’s Covid response, now would seem to be the right time for him to ask for a mandate since he would have a good chance of winning a majority at this time.
 
This is one of the problems with parliamentary governments; without fixed terms, they can find ways to keep themselves in place. The U.S. held its usual Presidential and legislative elections even in the midst of civil war in 1964. Controlled conditions would make elections possible in the covid world.

We do have fixed terms. Elections are called after a non-confidence vote, or after a party has had been in power for four years, whichever comes first.

Our last federal election was in October 2019. While we are not required to hold another election until 2023, Trudeau doesn’t hold the majority of seats in the House and minority governments tend to last about two years on average.

Given the success of Trudeau’s Covid response, now would seem to be the right time for him to ask for a mandate since he would have a good chance of winning a majority at this time.
The trouble with your argument is that there's nothing in the Elections Act preventing the Prime Minister from calling an election earlier than the four years if he wants to go to the polls.
 

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