Close X
Thursday, October 31, 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

Neighbours help to foil break and enter in progress: Surrey RCMP

Neighbours help to foil break and enter in progress: Surrey RCMP
34 year old Tyson Cole of Surrey, has been charged with Break and Enter and Unlawfully in Dwelling House. He was remanded in to custody.

Neighbours help to foil break and enter in progress: Surrey RCMP

Liberals survive second confidence vote on budget

Liberals survive second confidence vote on budget
The amendment called for the budget to be revised because, the Conservatives claimed, it will add "over half a trillion dollars in new debt that can only be paid through higher job-killing taxes," including more than $100 billion in new spending that the Conservatives dubbed "a re-election fund."

Liberals survive second confidence vote on budget

What does it mean? What we know about the variant detected in India

What does it mean? What we know about the variant detected in India
The variant first detected in India has a double mutation on the spike protein gene, which our current COVID-19 vaccines target. But experts say there's no evidence right now that the approved vaccines won't work against it.

What does it mean? What we know about the variant detected in India

Canada to suspend flights from India, Pakistan for 30 days

Canada to suspend flights from India, Pakistan for 30 days
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says because there are so many people arriving in Canada from India and Pakistan with COVID-19, all commercial and private passenger flights from both countries will be prohibited as of midnight.

Canada to suspend flights from India, Pakistan for 30 days

Targeted shootings spike in Vancouver area: police

Targeted shootings spike in Vancouver area: police
Assistant Comm. Manny Mann, chief officer of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, the south coast agency focused on gang conflict, says Gouwenberg had been connected to the United Nations gang for almost 20 years.

Targeted shootings spike in Vancouver area: police

Budget: $101B in new spending aims to prod growth

Budget: $101B in new spending aims to prod growth
The largest contributor is almost $30 billion over five years to drive down fees in licensed daycares with the goal of reaching $10 a day by 2026. That money is on top of already planned child-care spending.

Budget: $101B in new spending aims to prod growth