Trudeau minister BEGS MPs not to pursue a spring election

Public Safety Minister David McGuinty first wants to pass more Liberal bills before voters head to the polls, though a majority vote is required to reconvene parliamentary business.

A second Trudeau minister in as many weeks urged caution Thursday amid calls for a spring election. 

“It’s true, we prorogued Parliament,” Public Safety Minister David McGuinty told reporters. “It’s true we are holding a leadership convention. But this is a mature democracy and we can do both. We can deal with this.”

McGuinty wants to first pass more Liberal bills before voters head to the polls, reported Blacklock’s. To reconvene parliamentary business, a majority vote is required to revive legislation.

However, more than half of Canadians want an election triggered before October 2025, an Ipsos poll uncovered.

“If we need to move further on money, I think we can do that,” claimed McGuinty, who remains “hopeful” that a spring election will not happen.

The House of Commons approved $21.6 billion last month to sustain the federal civil service through March 31, 2025. Further spending will require a parliamentary vote to sustain the Government of Canada, whose annual payroll alone is $67 billion.

The timing appears most inopportune for Canadians, amid a brewing tariff war with the incoming Trump administration. “There may be some additional legislative measures that would be helpful and required,” the minister said.

Should no opposition party side with the Liberals on March 26, a snap election will be called. 

Health Minister Mark Holland also rejected calls for a snap election on January 10. “Every four years you get an election, like, democracy is not going anywhere, folks.”

“Like, there's gonna be an election,” he said. “But we got stuff we got to get done.”

The Bloc Quebecois called for a snap election last October 29 after failing to pass pension reform and supply management legislation. 

Meanwhile, New Democrats have expressed interest in backing a new Liberal leader for another minority government—under the right circumstances.

That appears to counter recent remarks by Party leader Jagmeet Singh. “We should fire the Liberals,” he told reporters on January 6. “They have let down Canadians.”

Parliament was scheduled to reconvene on Monday, January 27 before “internal divisions” within the Liberal Party kiboshed that from happening.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prorogued Parliament on January 6, and his successor is slated to take over on March 9. The new leader would then resume Parliament after a Throne Speech on March 24.

“If we have to come back together I think people of goodwill and good faith should be able to do that,” Minister McGuinty appeared convinced. 

“Right now I don’t think it’s as much about partisan gain as it is about 41 million people who are quite worried.”

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Alex Dhaliwal

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Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.

COMMENTS

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  • Bernhard Jatzeck
    commented 2025-01-17 23:18:19 -0500
    David Who? Is he someone important? If so, what has he done?
  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-01-17 21:20:57 -0500
    How clueless David McGuinty is. He just wants to prolong the Liberal robbery of Treasury Board. And Trudeau’s move of the election date to October 28th is undemocratic as well as illegal. But of course laws are for the little people. Self-exalting prigs figure they’re special and normal laws are beneath them.
  • Susan Ashbrook
    commented 2025-01-17 13:42:14 -0500
    I dunno, the Liberals had 9 years to get “stuff” done, what’s the sudden urgency now?