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National Post
12 hours ago
- Politics
- National Post
Michael Taube: Early signs Liberal government may be short-lived
The 45th Canadian Parliament officially began on May 26. There are already some early signs that it may not last very long. Article content Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberals suffered an embarrassing defeat in a June 2 vote in the House of Commons. Conservative interim leader Andrew Scheer's sub-amendment to the throne speech, which called for a 'firm commitment' to present a spring economic statement or budget 'that incorporates measures aimed at unleashing Canada's economic potential,' passed by a vote of 166-164. Article content This surprising result was aided by the fact that four Liberal MPs didn't vote due to the long-standing procedural measure of paired abstentions. This is when the parties represented in the House agree to have an MP sit out a vote and be paired with an MP of a different party who can't attend for a particular reason. Article content Article content In fairness, this was a non-binding vote. Confidence in the Liberal government wasn't being put to the test that day. At the same time, in spite of chief government whip Mark Gerretsen suggesting 'we knew the outcome of what that vote was going to be,' it's still a humiliating moment. While there have been a tiny number of instances of a federal government losing a non-binding vote, resolution or motion, it's highly unusual to have it happen this early in a parliament's life — and to have it linked to the Throne Speech. Article content As it happens, Carney and the Liberals survived a second crisis with the Throne Speech the following day when it was adopted by the House of Commons in a peculiar fashion. Article content Article content Political commentators and columnists were briefly caught off-guard on June 4 when the NDP announced they would vote against the Throne Speech. The Conservatives seemed like a good bet to join them. Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-François Blanchet even told the media that 'we have no news about how the caucus is going to vote.' Article content Article content This had suddenly become an interesting situation. The minority Liberal government has 169 MPs. One of them, Francis Scarpaleggia, is the Speaker of the House. Only Green Party leader Elizabeth May appeared to be onside with the Liberals. If the Conservatives, NDP and BQ all voted against the Throne Speech, this would have been regarded as a vote of no confidence in Carney's Liberal government. This would have likely led to the dissolution of Parliament and a new federal election. Article content The whole scenario seemed rather far-fetched. Going back to the polls so early wouldn't be desirable for most Canadians. The voters would blame one or more of the parties for causing this situation. Meanwhile, Elections Canada revealed that the estimated cost for running this year's federal election was $570 million. It would be difficult to convince the Canadian taxpayers, who foot this lofty bill, that they would need to spend this amount (or more) once again in 2025 — with no guarantee that it would lead to a different result.
Malay Mail
26-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Asean must trade more with itself, Anwar tells bloc's business council
KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 — Prime Minister and Chair of the South-east Asian bloc, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has directed the Asean Business Advisory Council (Asean-BAC) to submit concrete proposals to boost intra-Asean trade, which currently accounts for only about 20 per cent of the grouping's total trade. He noted that his counterparts had expressed a shared desire to unlock the region's full economic potential, underscoring the opportunity to significantly expand intra-Asean trade. 'Proposals have been made by Presidents and Prime Ministers, and there is actually no reason why the extent of our inter-Asean trade and investments is still limited at this stage, as the potential is enormous. 'So please come up with some very specific proposals on how we can compel policymakers to accept some recommendations,' he said in his opening remarks at the Asean Leaders' Interface with Representative of the Asean Business Advisory Council (Aseab-BAC) here today. Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said the Asean-BAC would also be present at all Asean meetings as a standard procedure to express their views and provide suggestions. Heads of State present included Brunei Darussalam Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah; Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto; Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Manet; Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone; Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr; Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong; and Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Also in attendance were Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, as observer, and Asean Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn. This year marks Malaysia's fifth time chairing the regional bloc, having previously held the Asean Chairmanship in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015. In conjunction with the summit, two pivotal high-level engagements — the 2nd Asean-GCC Summit and the inaugural Asean-GCC-China Summit — will also be convened, serving as strategic platforms to advance regional and inter-regional cooperation. — Bernama
