Prime Minister Mark Carney rises to vote in support of the federal budget on Monday.Blair Gable/Reuters
The Liberal government narrowly survived a confidence vote on a motion to approve the 2025 budget, thanks to a handful of abstentions and a last-minute climate pledge from the Prime Minister that won over Green Party MP Elizabeth May.
Members of Parliament approved the budget motion in a 170 to 168 vote Monday evening, ending days of uncertainty as to whether the opposition parties would defeat the minority Liberal government and trigger a second federal election in a year.
Two Conservative MPs – Matt Jeneroux and Shannon Stubbs – as well as two NDP MPs – Lori Idlout and Gord Johns – did not vote.
The confidence vote was likely the government’s biggest remaining Parliamentary test of the year. The House is scheduled to rise for the holidays on Dec. 12.
There will be at least one other key vote before then to approve day-to-day spending for federal departments, which is typically considered a confidence matter.
The government has permanently shifted the presentation of the budget from spring until fall, meaning there won’t be another budget showdown for a year, but there are regular opportunities for the opposition to aim to defeat the government should they choose.
There will be other confidence votes from time to time on spending bills and other votes that the government declares as confidence. Opposition parties also have days sprinkled throughout the year when they can move motions for a vote – including non-confidence motions.
The government must also win approval of the budget’s specific measures through the passage of likely one or two omnibus budget bills. The Nov. 4 budget references 75 legislative changes to come, a higher number of changes than forecast in the past three budgets.
More to come