Budget, government’s fate up in the air as MPs prepare for crucial vote

The House of Commons is set for one final vote on the main budget motion that will determine if the fiscal policy can go ahead and if the Liberal Party can keep governing.

The Liberal government tabled the budget earlier this month. It calls for billions of dollars in new spending to help prop up an economy hit hard by U.S. tariffs, along with cuts to the public service that the government says would lead to billions of dollars in savings.

The motion simply calls on the House to “approve in general the budgetary policy of the government.” But because it is considered a confidence vote, the government would fall if the motion fails — and Canadians would likely be heading to another election.

The Liberals gained an additional seat in the House with former Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont crossing to join the governing party. But the Liberals are still a few votes shy of a majority, meaning the government will need the co-operation of at least one other party to pass Monday’s budget motion.

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Friday that he hopes opposition MPs do some “soul searching” ahead of the vote.

Finance minister asks MPs to ‘elevate yourself above politics’ for budget vote

“This is not a time for political games. This is not a time for posturing. This is a time to fight for Canada,” Champagne said during a news conference.

“Fight together, meet the moment, elevate yourself above politics, serve the nation, serve your constituents.”

The Liberals have survived two confidence votes on the budget already. But it is not 100 per cent clear how Monday’s vote will go as most opposition parties have firmly staked their positions on the budget.

On budget day, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre signalled his opposition to the Liberals’ fiscal policy — and he said last week that his party intends to “unanimously oppose” the motion.

Similarly, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said he could “hardly see” how his party could support the budget on the day it was introduced. A Bloc spokesperson told CBC News last week that nothing has changed and all Bloc MPs intend to vote against the motion.

Green Leader Elizabeth May has also signalled that she wouldn’t support the budget unless serious changes were made on climate policy.

May said she’s been in talks with the government about making these changes, but told Rosemary Barton Live on Sunday that she was still “undecided.”

May is open to supporting the government in the confidence vote “because I know how much Canadians don’t want another election right away. So I’m in a dilemma, obviously … because right now I’m a no,” she said Sunday.

Unless one of the other parties changes their posture at the last minute, that leaves the New Democrats holding the balance.

Interim NDP Leader Don Davies said earlier this month that his party has “serious concerns” and “questions” about the budget — but said the party would weigh its options.

If the NDP decide they don’t want to support the budget, they could opt to have some or all of their MPs abstain from Monday’s vote.

The budget includes a number of items that target a handful of NDP ridings — including Davies’s riding of Vancouver Kingsway — which could be enough to sway at least some New Democrats.

As of Sunday, the party had yet to declare which way they’ll cast their vote.