OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau survived a no-confidence vote on Wednesday in the first major test for his minority Liberal government, which has seen its popularity slide after nine years in office. But his tenuous grip on power is already poised to face further challenges in the coming weeks, with the main opposition Conservatives vowing to try again to topple the government as early as Tuesday. They voted 211 to 120 against a Tory motion to expel the Liberals after a heated debate that saw MPs exchange insults and bang their fists on the table. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, with a wide lead in opinion polls, has been seeking a snap election since the left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP) tore up a coalition deal with the Liberals earlier this month, leaving the Trudeau administration vulnerable to ouster. A combative Poilievre criticized Trudeau for what he said was his failure to address the skyrocketing cost of living, housing crisis and crime while doubling the national debt. Canada’s promise, “after nine years of Liberal government, is broken,” he said during a Commons debate on Tuesday. But other opposition parties, whose support is needed to topple the Liberals, have pushed back against his right-wing agenda. Liberal House Speaker Karina Gould accused the Tories of “playing games” after the vote. “We will get back to work and do the hard work of governing this country,” she added.
