Conservatives block their own non-confidence motion, privilege debate continues
Unanimous consent of MPs needed for opposition motion to proceed
The latest attempt to bring down the minority Liberal government has stalled after the Conservatives blocked their own non-confidence motion from going ahead.
On Friday, the Tories released the text of a motion they planned to bring to the House of Commons today. The motion quotes NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh's criticism of the Liberals in a bid to get his caucus to vote against the government.
But members of Parliament need to provide unanimous consent for the opposition motion to proceed in order to pause debate on a matter of privilege that has held up almost all other business in the House for two months.
When Liberal House leader Karina Gould moved a motion to adjourn debate on that filibuster Monday morning, the Conservatives said no.
That privilege debate relates to a Conservative demand that the Liberals provide unredacted documents about allegations of misspending at a now-defunct green technology fund.
The Conservatives have said they will only end that debate when the Liberals provide the documents or the NDP agrees to vote non-confidence in the government.