Justin Trudeau government averts Canada snap election

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government survived an unusual confidence vote Wednesday with the support of a small leftist opposition party, staving off snap elections.

It was the second vote of confidence masterminded by the government this month.

Canadians had been on edge about the possibility they could be headed to the polls amid a pandemic over a push for an anti-corruption committee to scrutinize the government's Covid-19 spending, described by one party leader as a "witch hunt" against the Trudeau family and denounced by the Liberals as a "partisan inquisition."

After 24 hours of uncertainty and political drama, however, the New Democratic Party (NDP), along with a handful of Green and independent MPs, voted to prop up the government.

The Conservative motion to create the committee was defeated 180 to 146.

"We're voting against an election," NDP leader Jagmeet Singh had said ahead of the House of Commons vote, assuring the motion would not pass.

Trudeau's Liberals won reelection just one year ago, but lost their majority in parliament and need the support of at least one of three opposition parties to govern.

The Prime Minister had said he did not want an election now but warned that the committee's probe would end up paralysing the government.

In a rare move, his government announced Tuesday that the motion to create the parliamentary committee with sweeping powers to probe "scandals and potential scandals" related to government Covid-19 spending would face a confidence vote.

The Liberals losing the vote would have triggered snap elections.

"We will not give the Prime Minister an excuse to call an election," Singh vowed in advance, placing blame for the election brush on the Liberals.

He commented that it was also wrong for the Tories to seek through the committee to investigate the Trudeau family's dealings -- which had prompted outrage from the Liberals.

"We don't think it's appropriate to conduct some sort of witch hunt," Singh said. "New Democrats don't believe that it is appropriate to go after family members."

The Tories had proposed creating the special committee to specifically look into a contract awarded to the WE Charity to distribute roughly Can$1 billion (US$760 million) in pandemic relief to young Canadians.

Concerns were raised over the contract after it was revealed that the charity paid Trudeau's wife, brother and mother a combined Can$300,000 for speaking engagements.

The deal was ultimately cancelled and Finance Minister Bill Morneau, who also had links to the charity, resigned in August.

The committee would have also investigated the government's purchase of ventilators and lobbying by the husband of Trudeau's chief of staff.

Singh said questions could be put to the government to hold it to account instead of through an existing parliamentary ethics committee.

The latest Leger poll on Wednesday -- of 1,512 Canadians conducted from October 16 to 18 -- puts the Liberals in the lead of voter intentions at 36 per cent if an election were held now.

The Conservatives trail with 29 per cent support, the NDP 18 per cent, the Bloc Quebecois seven per cent and the Greens six per cent.

If those numbers held, it would likely see another minority Liberal government returned to power.