Could we be going to the polls over the WE Charity scandal?
The federal government is willing to test those waters, over the Conservatives proposing the creation of a new parliamentary committee to look into the Liberal controversies, including the WE Charity scandal.
“It will be up to parliamentarians and the opposition to decide whether they want to make this minority Parliament work, or whether they’ve lost confidence in this government's ability to manage this pandemic," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
When the issue comes up for a vote, the Liberals will consider it a confidence vote. That means if it passes with support from all opposition parties, the government could fall, and we could find ourselves in a general election, during a pandemic.
The Bloc Quebecois have already said they plan on supporting the motion, leaving the balance of power in the hands of the NDP.
Leader Jagmeet Singh wouldn't say which way the party would vote, but indicated "we're working on a solution."
Trudeau said that "nobody wants elections" and points to the number of cases of COVID-19 on the rise again right across the country.
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said earlier in the day that, while he does not have confidence in the Liberal government, he is not looking to go to the polls.
In an apparent effort to avoid that outcome, O’Toole is looking to make expressly clear in one of two proposed amendments to the motion that, that opposition MPs agreeing to pass this new parliamentary forum to look into alleged Liberal corruption, would not be legitimate grounds for going to the polls.
“Canadians expect the truth. They deserve accountability. That's what this committee will do,” O’Toole told reporters Tuesday morning. “Threatening an election rather than being accountable, for a prime minister who is already on his third personal ethics investigation? It's time for some accountability and we're going to bring that.”