Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
ADVT 
National

Liberals survive budget confidence vote

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 27 Apr, 2021 12:49 AM
  • Liberals survive budget confidence vote

With the help of the NDP, Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal government has survived the last of three confidence votes on its massive budget.

The House of Commons approved Monday the government's general budgetary policy by a vote of 178-157.

Liberals were joined by New Democrat MPs in voting for the budget, in accordance with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh's vow not to trigger an election in the midst of a deadly third wave of COVID-19.

Conservative, Bloc Quebecois and Green MPs voted against the budget.

Votes on the budget are considered confidence matters; had all opposition parties voted against it, the government would have fallen, plunging the country into an election.

The government survived two other confidence votes on the budget last week, on Conservative and Bloc Quebecois amendments to the budget motion.

The budget, introduced last week, commits just over $100 billion in new spending to stimulate the economic recovery, on top of an unprecedented, pandemic-induced deficit of $354 billion in the 2020-21 fiscal year.

The government must eventually introduce a budget implementation bill, which will also be a matter of confidence.

Prime Minister Trudeau last week insisted the big-spending budget is not a launching pad for an election. He would not rule out an election this year, noting that he leads a minority government and saying it will be "up to Parliament to decide when the election is."

While that sounded like Trudeau doesn't intend to pull the plug himself on his government, it didn't preclude the possibility that the Liberals could try to orchestrate their defeat at the hands of opposition parties. Nor did it preclude the possibility that Trudeau could at some point claim that a dysfunctional minority Parliament requires him to seek a majority mandate.

Some Liberal insiders believe Trudeau may pull the plug this summer, provided that the pandemic is relatively under control and vaccines are rolling out smoothly.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Federal deficit hit $268B in January

Federal deficit hit $268B in January
The government says in its monthly fiscal monitor that the deep slide in the deficit reflects the unprecedented deterioration in the economy and the government's spending response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Federal deficit hit $268B in January

Provinces agree to upgrades to AgriStability

Provinces agree to upgrades to AgriStability
All the provinces agreed to removing the margin limit, but an agreement wasn't reached on moving to an 80 per cent compensation rate.

Provinces agree to upgrades to AgriStability

B.C. updates long-term care visitor restrictions

B.C. updates long-term care visitor restrictions
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Thursday that she would remove a requirement for a single designated visitor and allow multiple family members and friends to visit elders in care facilities as of April 1.

B.C. updates long-term care visitor restrictions

800 COVID cases for Thursday

800 COVID cases for Thursday
Of the active cases, 306 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 79 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.

800 COVID cases for Thursday

Child injured at hotel pool in Victoria: police

Child injured at hotel pool in Victoria: police
Victoria police say in a news release that officers were called to the hotel, which they didn't identify, at about 6 p.m. for a report of an injured child.

Child injured at hotel pool in Victoria: police

'No evidence' Meng's device info was shared: Crown

'No evidence' Meng's device info was shared: Crown
John Gibb-Carsley told the B.C. Supreme Court that the burden of proof is on Meng's legal team to show the numbers were shared, but they can't do it.

'No evidence' Meng's device info was shared: Crown