Federal Court judge ignored fact that Parliament voted 327-1 not to have election, that opposition leaders all supported Parliament continuing to operate, and that U.K. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in 2019 that PM can’t shut down Parliament for political reasons
New Brunswick Court of Appeal recently ruled NB fixed election law means Premier can’t call snap election for political reasons like Trudeau did
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, February 13, 2023
OTTAWA – This afternoon, the appeal of the case (PDF of application) that Democracy Watch and Integrity B.C. founder Wayne Crookes filed challenging Prime Minister Trudeau’s request in August 2021 that the Governor General call a snap federal election 2021 snap election call will be heard by the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) in Ottawa, and online via Zoom.
The case will be heard at Federal Court Building, 90 Sparks St., 4th floor in Ottawa from 2 pm to 4 pm. Anyone can also register to watch the hearing online by contacting the FCA at email: [email protected] and asking to be sent the Zoom invitation for the hearing of Democracy Watch and Wayne Crookes v. Prime Minister, FCA File No. A-54-22.
The case is aimed at winning a ruling that the Prime Minister violated the fixed election date measure in Canada’s election law, and that the PM is only allowed to ask the Governor General to call an election every four years on the fixed election date, with the only exception being if a vote of non-confidence in the government occurs before that date. Nicolas Rouleau and Daniel Santoro are the lawyers for the case.
Democracy Watch filed a similar case against then-Prime Minister Harper’s snap election call in September 2008. The Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal both ruled that a constitutional convention had not been created when Parliament added section 56.1 to the Canada Elections Act in 2007, and that the measure was not specific enough to prohibit the Prime Minister from calling an early election.
The Federal Court judge who granted the Trudeau government’s motion to stop the case ruled that the case is the same as the 2008 case, ignoring the fact that the case is very different because the situation when Trudeau called a snap election in August 2021 was very different from Harper’s snap election call in September 2008 in several key ways (click here to see DWatch’s legal arguments):
- On May 25, 2021, MPs (including Trudeau) voted 327-1 against holding an election, and all opposition party leaders clearly and publicly expressed their opposition in July-August to holding an election;
- As opposition parties made clear with public letters and statements before Trudeau’s election call, a majority of MPs voted in favour of everything the Trudeau Liberals have proposed since the last election, including the 2021 Liberal budget, or were in the process of reviewing proposed measures on the usual legislative timeline. Opposition parties clearly supported the Liberals continuing to govern, and the Trudeau government had the confidence of Parliament, when Trudeau called the election.
(Click here to see Backgrounder for details).
In addition, the British Supreme Court ruled unanimously in 2019 that PM Boris Johnson’s decision to advise the Queen to shut down Parliament was unlawful as it “ha[d] the effect of frustrating or preventing, without reasonable justification, the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional functions as a legislature and as the body responsible for the supervision of the executive” (para. 50 of the ruling). The same principle applies to Trudeau’s snap election call, which shut down Parliament for no good reason.
As well, the fixed election date rule in Canada’s election law, and the Prime Minister following the law for the past three elections, have created a constitutional convention rule that the PM is required to follow. In 2011, the Conservative government led by PM Harper called an election only after losing a vote of confidence in Parliament. In 2015, PM Harper called an election on the fixed date, as did PM Trudeau in 2019.
The newest development that makes the case different from the 2008 case is that the New Brunswick Court of Appeal recently ruled unanimously in Democracy Watch’s case challenging Conservative Premier Blaine Higgs’ August 2020 snap election call that New Brunswick’s fixed election date law, which is essentially the same as the federal law, prohibits the Premier from calling a snap election for purely political reasons, which is what PM Trudeau did in August 2021.
“Prime Minister Trudeau’s snap election call was illegal because Canada’s election law fixes election dates for every four years unless there is a vote of non-confidence in the government, which did not happen before his election call in August, and because MPs from all parties, including Prime Minister Trudeau, voted against holding an election, all opposition party leaders were against it, and the Liberal government had the clear confidence of Parliament in every way except for calling an election,” said Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch.
“In the same way the British Supreme Court rejected the British PM’s shutting down of Parliament as an illegal abuse of power that went against the will of Parliament, the courts should rule that Trudeau’s snap election was illegal because it violated the fixed election date law and convention, and the democratic will and constitutionally protected role of Parliament,” said Conacher.
“Two of the most important things Canadians want from their politicians is to obey the law and to tell the truth – Mr. Trudeau did neither,” said Wayne Crookes, founder of Integrity B.C. “To call an election during the Covid-19 health emergency at an unneeded expense of about $600 million reflects very poorly on Mr. Trudeau and the Liberal Party. He put self-interest before his duty to Canadians.”
As well, a survey at the end of July 2021 showed only 26% of Canadians wanted an election, and in mid-July 2021 the PM also denied that he was going to call an election, and a survey at the end of August 2021 showed that 75% of Canadians didn’t see the election as necessary.
More than 20,000 voters signed Democracy Watch’s petition on Change.org calling on Governor General Mary Simon to say no to any snap election call by Prime Minister Trudeau before the next fixed election date. Snap elections are unfair to voters, people who want to run as candidates, and most parties. That’s why Parliament decided to fix the federal election date in Canada’s election law.
Because they are illegal, dishonest and unfair, Democracy Watch and Wayne Crookes also went to court to challenge the snap election call in September 2020 by the B.C. NDP Premier John Horgan which also violated B.C.’s fixed election date law. Democracy Watch is currently appealing a B.C. lower court ruling that rejected the case for similar reasons as the federal courts used in the 2008 case.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch
Tel: (613) 241-5179
Cell: 416-546-3443
Email: [email protected]
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