MacKinnon says minority Parliament can work if Conservatives ‘get out of the way’

OTTAWA — Government House leader Steven MacKinnon said Monday he believes the minority Parliament can function and pass bills — if Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre agrees to “get out of the way.”

When asked if the governing Liberals are considering a spring election, MacKinnon said Canadians voted for the current government’s plan last April and the priority is to implement it.

“There is no way that plan should not receive the approval of this Parliament. There is a majority in that room for that plan,” MacKinnon told a press conference in Ottawa on Monday.

“Mr. Poilievre has to get out of the way and allow his MPs to vote on an ambitious, crime-fighting agenda.”

Ontario Conservative MP Costas Menegakis brushed off MacKinnon’s call.

“Get out of the way? We’re here to represent our constituents. We’re also elected. We’re here to make Parliament work because that’s our job,” he said while entering the House of Commons.

Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer said his party has helped the government pass some key pieces of legislation, such as the major projects bill.

“Conservatives are doing due diligence. Where there is Liberal legislation that at least does no further harm, we are allowing those bills to proceed,” Scheer said before question period Monday.

The government will bring forward legislation later in the session to boost the GST credit to help lower-income Canadians cope with the high cost of groceries. The increased rebate was announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney Monday.

The Conservatives have criticized it as a revived Justin Trudeau policy but say they are open to passing the eventual bill.

“Now, the prime minister has revived a Trudeau-era rebate, which we’ll let pass, that will barely cover a few trips to the grocery store,” Poilievre said during question period.

MacKinnon said he wants the Conservatives to help the government quickly pass bills on bail reform, intimate partner violence protections and sexual “deepfake” images.

The Conservatives are opposed to the government’s hate speech legislation, which has drawn criticism from faith groups over language on removing religious exemptions.

When asked about putting that legislation aside for now to get opposition support on other justice bills, MacKinnon appeared to shoot down that possibility.

“Here’s what I’m open to — Conservatives getting out of the way of the most ambitious crime agenda in a generation,” he said.

Scheer said the House of Commons justice committee agreed to pause debate on the hate speech legislation Monday and move forward with work on C-14, the government’s bail reform bill.

“Where there are improvements on things we have been calling for, and they have adopted our ideas, of course we have allowed those things to pass,” he said.

“What Steve MacKinnon said today was completely contradicted by the facts, contradicted by reality.”

Poilievre put an opposition motion on notice calling on the House to immediately introduce what he’s calling the “Canadian Sovereignty Act,” which would eliminate a host of Liberal environmental policies like the industrial carbon price, the oil and gas emissions cap and the electric vehicle sales mandate.

Carney was not expected to be in question period Monday. He’s was scheduled to meet instead with Ontario Premier Doug Ford in Toronto Monday afternoon.

Opposition members say they will press Carney to back up his bold words about Canada’s future with concrete action.

Carney is back in Ottawa after travelling the globe to secure trade deals and drum up foreign investment in response to deep uncertainty about Canada’s relationship with the United States.

In a high-profile speech delivered in Switzerland last week, the prime minister urged other middle powers to join Canada in building a new order that embraces respect for human rights, sustainable development, state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Liberals can expect to hear from opposition MPs demanding to know what the government will do to help Canadians who are losing their jobs and struggling to put food on the table.

Interim NDP Leader Don Davies said New Democrats will focus on the economy and pursue policies that could be put in place now to help with employment, housing, health care and affordability.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said she will focus on giving the budget implementation act more scrutiny, adding the “ultimate” omnibus bill needs proper study.

“The committee to study it is designated as the finance committee, but there are many sections in here that should go to other committees for proper study,” May told an Ottawa press conference Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2026.

Jim Bronskill and David Baxter, The Canadian Press