Liberals downplay narrowly lost vote demanding spring budget

OTTAWA — The Liberals downplayed a vote on the throne speech they narrowly lost Monday evening to all the opposition parties which urges the government to present an economic update or a budget before the House of Commons rises for the summer on June 20. The sub-amendment, brought forward by Conservative interim leader Andrew Scheer, called for a “firm commitment” to present a fiscal overview of the country’s finances this spring “that incorporates measures aimed at unleashing Canada’s economic potential.” It was adopted Monday by 166 votes — comprised of the Conservatives, the Bloc Québécois, the NDP and Green Party’s Elizabeth May — against 164 Liberal votes. It is, however, a non-binding vote, meaning that the government is under no obligation to present a spring economic update or a budget. But the vote in this new minority Parliament showed how opposition parties can aspire to go up against the government and its razor-thin margin in the House. Mark Gerretsen, the chief government whip who is responsible for ensuring that Liberal MPs attend and vote in the way the party desires, insisted nothing went wrong. “We knew the outcome of what that vote was going to be,” he told reporters on Tuesday. Gerretsen said Liberals have 169 MPs, one of whom is the House Speaker, and four MPs did not vote because of “paired abstentions.” Those happen when parties agree to have a member sit out a vote because someone from another party is not able to attend. “Every single person that was supposed to vote yesterday voted,” he said. Justice Minister Sean Fraser admitted the government is in “new territory” with its minority mandate and parties can sway things on any given vote with very thin margins. “I try not to bake feelings into these things. They’re math challenges, not problems with feelings. But we have to make sure that we do the work necessary to try to collaborate with parties across the aisle in order to implement the mandate that Canadians have given us.” Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said last month there would be no federal budget in the spring , but a fall economic statement. Shortly after, Prime Minister Mark Carney said his government would present a budget during the fall session instead. “We will have a much more comprehensive, effective, ambitious, prudent budget in the fall,” he said during a media availability in Rome, where he was to commemorate Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass. “You do these things right and that’s what we’re going to do.” Carney added “there’s not much value in trying to rush through a budget in a very narrow window” given that the spring session was set to last four weeks. He also noted the trade war and defence commitments are bound to change the government’s numbers. The decision to not table a spring budget has sparked criticism amongst opposition parties, who said they are left in the dark on the country’s current fiscal situation. The government tabled a fall economic update last December that showed finances were in a worse state than expected, but the exercise was overshadowed by Chrystia Freeland’s sudden and dramatic resignation as finance minister hours before it was tabled. Conservatives spent Tuesday’s question period hammering the fact that their sub-amendment had passed with the support of all opposition parties despite Liberals voting against it. “Will the minority Liberal government listen to the majority in this House and table a budget immediately?” asked B.C. MP Dan Albas. “Will the prime minister respect the will of Parliament and table a budget immediately so Canadians in this Parliament can have the transparency we deserve?” echoed Alberta MP Kelly McCauley. After skirting around the questions from the opposition benches, Carney eventually said: “We take note of last night’s motion.” Government House leader Steven MacKinnon noted that Monday’s vote to attempt to force the government to table a spring economic update or a budget is non-binding and said he suspects MPs are “going to see a lot more” of those resolutions. MacKinnon said the real test for the government would come during the vote for the actual throne speech — which is a confidence vote — expected to happen Wednesday evening. Until now, opposition parties have not said how they will be voting on the throne speech. National Post, with a file from the Canadian Press calevesque@postmedia.com

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