Trudeau warns of possible election as Conservatives push for COVID-19 spending committee

Canadians could be forced to head to the polls during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Liberal Government said a Conservative motion being debated Wednesday will be a confidence matter. They warn that a vote for the motion to create a special COVID-19 spending committee would trigger a federal election.

The Conservatives are pushing for the special committee to probe allegations of the misuse of public funds on COVID-19 relief programs including the failed on awarded to the WE charity.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it is clearly a matter of confidence because the Conservatives are calling the committee an ‘anti-corruption’ panel.

RELATED: ‘Regretful’ Trudeau denies conflict of interest in WE Charity controversy

Conservative leader Erin O’Toole is accusing the prime minister of trying to avoid answering questions about the WE charity scandal by triggering a vote.

Conservative MP Mark Strahl says the Liberals are shutting down the health, finance and ethics committees and still have the audacity to accuse the conservatives of being the problem. He says the Conservatives will not be intimidated.

“Let’s put the WE charity scandal, along with all the other scandals that involve the COVID-19 spending that has benefited liberal interests, let’s get it out of those other committees and put it in a special committee.”

In response, the Liberals are accusing Strahl of putting forth a mistruth. Liberal MP Peter Fragiskatos took offence to Strahl’s comments about the WE charity controversy.

“500 million dollars did not go to the WE charity organization, that money was for students. There’s 43 million dollars that was going to go to WE and the money was to be reimbursed. I’m not saying that the government did not make mistakes on the file, it did.”

The Bloc Quebecois have pledged to support the Conservative motion, which means the liberals need the NDP’s support to survive the confidence vote

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh feels the entire issue is of little importance and won’t say how he or members of his party plans to vote on the motion.

“I will not be any part of this farce that the Prime Minister is suggesting that this is what’s important. What’s important is people who are losing their jobs and afraid of the future, not trying to posture to get an election over a committee. That is stupid, to be blunt.”

Members of Parliament are set to vote on the motion on Wednesday.