Canada Faces Snap Election As Opposition Turns on Martin

Canada will go to the polls for a snap general election after opposition parties yesterday used a no-confidence vote to oust prime minister Paul Martin's scandal-hit government.

The country's three opposition parties, which control a majority of seats in parliament, called for the vote last week, claiming that Mr Martin's Liberal party lacked the moral authority to lead the nation. His government's 17 months in power were overshadowed by corruption which began in February 2004 when it emerged that C$100m (£50m) in government advertising and sponsorship contracts had been funnelled to Liberal-friendly firms for little or no work.

Although an initial investigation absolved Mr Martin of wrongdoing, it accused senior Liberal members of taking kickbacks and wasting tens of millions of dollars in public funds. In the last few weeks, the government has unveiled spending initiatives worth several billion dollars and also promised a wide range of tax cuts, prompting the opposition to accuse Martin of seeking to bribe voters.

Hours before yesterday's vote, Peter MacKay, the Conservative leader in parliament, asked: "Does the prime minister really believe that rushing money out the door on the eve of an election will distract Canadians away from his Liberal government's sordid record of waste, mismanagement and corruption?"

Opposition politicians cheered as it emerged that the government had lost the vote by 171 votes to 133. The loss means an election for all 308 seats in the lower House of Commons which is likely to be held on January 23. The prime minister is expected to dissolve the house on Tuesday, although his government will lead until the country goes to the polls.

Mr Martin's troubles worsened when the Conservative party, led by Stephen Harper, joined the New Democratic and Bloc Quebecois parties to bring down the government. Recent polls have given the Liberals an edge on the Conservatives, with the New Democrats in third place.

Grace Skogstad, a professor of politics at the University of Toronto, said the opposition parties were unlikely to incur the wrath of voters for precipitating Canada's first Christmas campaign for 26 years. "It's going to be those last three weeks after January 1 that are going to matter," said Ms Skogstad, who predicted the Liberals would win another minority government.