After Trudeau’s carbon tax exemption debacle, the Liberal government is in complete disarray,  with one MP in particular publicly acting out in Parliament.

Liberal MP Ken McDonald caused quite an uproar in the House of Commons on Monday during a vote on the federal carbon tax. The Avalon MP was caught seemingly “flipping off” the House during the vote, with another MP from across the aisle calling it “a middle finger to Canadians.”

Have things gone so downhill for Trudeau and his Liberal government that his own party members have resorted to making crass gestures in the middle of a formal vote?

How has Trudeau managed to push his party into this much disarray, and more importantly, will he manage to survive this debacle, or are Canadians finally ready to give him the boot?

In the House of Commons on Monday, members of parliament were engaged in formal voting procedures for a motion calling on the federal government to extend the carbon tax exemption to all forms of home heating, a motion initiated by the Conservatives and spearheaded by Pierre Poilievre.

After Trudeau’s questionable decision to temporarily exempt the tax only on home heating oil and not on other sources of heating, many argued that this exemption was unfair. Poilievre has helped form a united front between Conservative MPs, the NDP, and Premiers in certain provinces. Together, they are calling for an end to the tax entirely, officially exempting Canadians who use different types of home heating.

While the Prime Minister and many representatives of the Liberal government have said that there will be no more exemptions, the House of Commons still entertained the Opposition’s motion.

One person in particular, however, caused quite a stir during the formal voting procedure. When called to vote on the motion, MP Ken McDonald appeared to be raising his middle finger.

When the Liberal MP voted against Monday’s motion in the House of Commons, as he appeared to be raising his middle finger, several yells and boos could be heard across the aisle. A voice from the Conservative side of the House shouted, “Ken, you flip-flopped again!”

The Poilievre-sponsored motion did not end up passing and was rejected, with 135 with the motion, and 186 against it.

In response to the vulgar gesture, Conservative MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay rose on a point of order, calling McDonald’s gesture inexcusable.

On the other hand, McDonald made sure to clarify what he intended by the gesture.

While the Conservatives did not buy his explanation, speaker Greg Fergus said he would review the gesture and raise it again in the House of Commons if necessary.

This comes as a surprise as the Liberal MP has previously made headlines several times for voting with the Conservatives on two separate occasions to repeal the tax. McDonald had supported another motion from the official Opposition to get rid of the tax in October 2022, and on another occasion in October 2023, being the only Liberal to do so, after which he received standing ovations from the opposing party. 

When asked why he revolted against his own party, this is what the Liberal MP had to say.

McDonald even told CBC News that some in the Opposition had asked him to switch parties. When asked about how the carbon tax has affected his own province, this is what the MP replied with. 

While McDonald seemed to be one of the few Liberals who does not vote blindly for what their party wants but instead votes to represent their constituent’s interests, he ended up going against his beliefs by voting against the motion to end the carbon tax.

For someone who was so adamant on getting rid of the tax, claiming that “this is not the time” to put an additional tax on Canadians who are barely able to afford to own homes, he sure flip-flopped pretty fast, which is very telling about the Liberal party and the motives behind their actions.

The Liberal party appears to be in complete disarray, and it’s no wonder, with a flip-flopping leader like Justin Trudeau, it was only a matter of time until his party members also followed suit.

But the question still stands, how can someone who stood so firm in what he believed in change up so easily? Could there be something going on behind the scenes that we don’t know about? The idea of someone in the government controlling his vote is very possible, knowing the Liberal government’s history with scandals, lies, and corruption.

While the motion to end the tax is non-binding and merely serves as a call to action, it provides insight into where the House of Commons stands on the issue, especially following Trudeau’s latest exemption on heating oil. Both the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois voted against it, surprisingly forming a united front. Why is that, you say? Check out our other video about why the Bloc joined the Liberals in forming a coalition against the Conservatives.

After the motion’s defeat, Poilievre, who sponsored the motion, gave his thoughts on the matter. 

While Trudeau has seemingly formed a “carbon tax coalition” along with the Bloc, it seems that Monday’s voting results sent a clear signal that the NDP are protesting against the Liberals’ approach, as they sided with the Conservatives.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, whose party of two voted against the motion, had accused the NDP of falling into a “trap” by supporting it.

When confronted with this claim, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh explains the party’s reasoning for the switch-up.

While the NDP does believe in fighting the climate crisis, they simultaneously believe that Trudeau’s unfair home heating oil exemption pits region against region and essentially divides Canada, mirroring Poilievere’s previous claims that Trudeau has divided Canada into “two separate classes.”

As the carbon tax exemption continues to divide Canadians, it seems Justin Trudeau’s leadership faces growing uncertainty, more now than ever before.

Even his own government is turning against him, essentially making a mockery of his party in the House. 

The Liberal party is in such disarray that they are flipping off the Opposition in response? We all know how they don’t necessarily possess common sense, but have they lost all decency that they felt that crass gestures in the honorable House of Commons was appropriate? Even the NDP, who share the Liberals’ urgency in climate action, have decided to flip-flop. 

With high inflation, the persistent carbon tax, and an escalating housing crisis hurting voters, Trudeau may find his coalition cracking. 

The question remains: will the Liberal Party’s instincts for political survival be enough to save his job once more, or has Canada had enough of his brash tactics, and has already turned to a leader who actually speaks for them, such as Poilievre?