THE FOLLY IN THE COMMONS

John Ivison: The vote in the House to reject a Conservative motion to establish an anti-corruption committee has averted the prospect of snap fall election – for now. MPs voted 180 to 146 against the motion, with the government supported by the NDP, Greens and independent MPs.

But no-one emerged from this mess with much credit.  What did we learn?

1: The House of Commons remains divided against itself. It cannot stand for much longer. The prime minister is set on an election – that much is apparent from the admission by NDP leader Jagmeet Singh that the Liberals didn’t even try to negotiate a solution, as they did on the COVID-response act last month. The explanation is contained in the opinion polls – the latest Nanos Research survey had the Liberals at 39 per cent support, the Conservatives at 33 per cent and the NDP at just 13 per cent. The New Democrats are propping up a government that no longer wants to be propped up, and the party is in danger of losing its sense of self. The NDP MPs who voted with the government did so with mutinous looks on their faces. Singh would be advised to start planning to part ways with the Liberals over something substantive like the fiscal update expected late next month. If he did, he could portray the Liberal response as wanting and reclaim his party’s fading identity