A narrow majority of MPs voted in favour of the Liberal government’s budget Monday, avoiding another federal election.
A motion to approve Prime Minister Mark Carney’s budget passed with 170 votes in favour and 168 against.
Budget votes are considered confidence motions, so a rejection of the budget could have sent Canadians to the polls for the second time in a year.
The majority of Conservatives, Bloc Quebecois MPs opposed the budget. Five of the NDP’s seven MPs in the house voted nay, while two others abstained.
There were questions ahead of time about whether Green party leader Elizabeth May would support the bill.
She said ahead of the vote she decided to vote “yes” after getting assurances from Carney that Canada would aim to meet its climate targets under the Paris Agreement.
But Carney still needed the support of New Democrats to get his budget over the line.
The federal budget tabled on Nov. 4 promises to cut wasteful government spending while investing in “nation-building” initiatives.
It includes tens of billions of dollars for infrastructure spending over the next decade. It also pledges billions toward affordable housing and faster construction, and earmarks funding for the new Major Projects Office to fast-track certain projects deemed to be of national significance.
The budget projects a $78 billion deficit this fiscal year for 2025-26 – more than doubled from last year’s deficit of $36.3 billion. The Liberal government maintains that its spending plan is sustainable, emphasizing growth and productivity rather than rapid fiscal tightening.
B.C. Premier David Eby said ahead of the budget vote on Monday that he was hopeful that MPs can work together.
“It think whether it’s British Columbia or whether it’s federal, the last thing that people want right now is an election,” said Eby.
-With files from John White
