Liberal government survives vote on throne speech thanks to NDP

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh

Share October 6, 2020 8:53 p.m. Share Liberal government survives Throne Speech vote thanks to NDP The Canadian Press OTTAWA – Justin Trudeau's Liberal government survived Tuesday night's Throne Speech vote thanks to crucial support of the New Democratic Party (NDP).

The speech was supported by 177 deputies against 152 in the House of Commons.

There was no real suspense over the outcome of the vote, which could have propelled the country to election if the Liberals had lost.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced his party would support the speech after it succeeded last week in securing new benefits for workers unemployed or underemployed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois had promised, almost immediately after the speech given on September 23, to vote against.

And the new leader of the Green Party of Canada, Annamie Paul, said earlier Tuesday that her party would not support the speech.

Ms Paul admitted that there are very good things in this liberal program, tabled last month, but she lamented that this speech does not include any measures to protect people living in health care centers from COVID-19. long duration.

She also pointed out that the speech does not promise a guaranteed basic income either, which would allow Canadians to better withstand economic difficulties.

However, Paul said she was happy to see the government extended emergency benefits to those who need them most. But according to her, this plan still leaves too many Canadians on the sidelines, especially students.

The new Greens leader, elected on Saturday in the eighth ballot, also argued that the Liberal government is also failing to show national and international leadership on climate change. So the three Green Party MPs in the Commons cannot support a plan that does not protect the future of Canadians, she said.