Close X
Saturday, November 30, 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

DARPAN 10 with Dr. Baldev S. Sanghera

DARPAN 10 with Dr. Baldev S. Sanghera
Dr. Baldev S. Sanghera is a Family Physician & Medical Director of Burnaby COVID-19 Testing, Assessment and Treatment Centre  

DARPAN 10 with Dr. Baldev S. Sanghera

Health measures tightened in Regina

Health measures tightened in Regina
The province says a ban on household guests that was lifted two weeks ago is immediately back in place in Regina.

Health measures tightened in Regina

Singh distances himself from MP's post on racism

Singh distances himself from MP's post on racism
Nonetheless, Singh says NDP lawmaker Matthew Green has the right to express himself as a racialized Canadian and that every province and territory continues to struggle with systemic racism.

Singh distances himself from MP's post on racism

Judge denies Meng's request on loan evidence

Judge denies Meng's request on loan evidence
The judge says a lender who makes a loan on the strength of a misrepresentation is at risk of economic loss, because they have lost the use of the funds for the period of the loan.

Judge denies Meng's request on loan evidence

Liberals to table federal budget April 19

Liberals to table federal budget April 19
It will also be Freeland’s first budget as finance minister; she took on the portfolio last summer following Bill Morneau’s resignation.

Liberals to table federal budget April 19

Police seek witnesses in hit and run investigation

Police seek witnesses in hit and run investigation
The suspect vehicle is described as a dark coloured hatchback and the driver is described as a South Asian man in his 20s, with a beard.

Police seek witnesses in hit and run investigation