Canadian Government Fell Down After No-confidence Vote

The Conservative government in Canada, headed by the Prime Minister Stephen Harper fell down after a no-confidence vote was passed by 156-145 vote in the Canadian Parliament on 25 March 2011. The Prime Minister along with his ministry resigned and recommended to the governor general that an election be called, on 2 May 2011.

The no-confidence vote came after a Parliamentary committee led by the opposition parties found that the government had acted in contempt of Parliament by failing to disclose the full costs of spending on anti-crime programmes, plans to purchase stealth fighter jets and corporate tax cuts.

The no-confidence motion was brought by Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff. The government of Stephen Harper was found in contempt of Parliament, a first in the history of those Commonwealth nations following British parliamentary practice.