Prime Minister Mark Carney stood in the House on Monday to vote in favour of the federal budget. Reuters
The Liberal government held on to power Monday night after a tight confidence vote on the 2025 federal budget. The result came in at 170 to 168. The narrow win ended days of tension in Ottawa. Many MPs wondered if the vote would force Canadians back to the polls for the second time in a year.
Prime Minister Mark Carney pushed hard for support. His first budget set out more than $140-billion in new spending over five years. He said the plan would attract major investments and support large infrastructure projects. The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois opposed the budget. They pointed to the $78.3-billion deficit and said the numbers raised serious concerns.
Abstentions Shift the Outcome
Four MPs chose not to vote. Conservative MPs Matt Jeneroux and Shannon Stubbs missed the vote. Jeneroux already announced his plan to resign. Stubbs continues to recover from surgery. Two New Democrats, Lori Idlout and Gord Johns, also stayed out. Their abstentions proved crucial.
NDP interim leader Don Davies said the party aimed to give Canadians stability. “New Democrats are choosing stability over political games,” he said. Johns echoed that point and said the NDP acted as “the adults in the room.”
Green MP Changes Position
Green MP Elizabeth May changed the tone of the day when she shifted her stance hours before the vote. May asked the Prime Minister during Question Period about climate goals and the Paris Agreement. She pressed him for clear commitments on climate action and Indigenous reconciliation.
The Prime Minister answered directly. “I can confirm to this House that we will respect our Paris commitments for climate change and we’re determined to achieve them,” he said.
May said those words mattered. She previously rejected the budget. She even stomped on a copy to show her frustration. But after hearing the Prime Minister, she changed her approach. “I’m going to vote yes for the country, for the planet and for my hope in the future,” she said. She warned that she expected the government to honour its promises.
Climate Tensions Build
Canada’s climate progress drew strong attention before the vote. A recent report said emissions could fall between 20 and 25 per cent by 2030. That number drops short of Canada’s 40 to 45 per cent target. The report said planned growth in liquefied natural gas production could make the gap even harder to close.
Carney now faces growing pressure from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. She wants a new pipeline to the Pacific coast. She also pushed him to soften federal climate rules.
More Budget Battles Ahead
The Liberals hold 170 seats in the 343-seat House of Commons. The Speaker does not vote unless the result ties. That leaves the Liberals with a thin margin. Opposition parties hold 173 seats combined.
MPs voted on a motion from Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne. The vote confirmed support for the budget. Earlier attempts by the Conservatives and Bloc to amend the budget failed. The Liberals marked those votes as confidence matters and rallied their team.
More votes will follow before the winter break. MPs must approve funding for federal departments and several budget items. The fall schedule also includes up to two omnibus budget bills with 75 planned legislative changes.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and B.C. Premier David Eby urged MPs to support the plan earlier Monday. Their calls added pressure as the final moments approached.
