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Liberals expected to survive after second confidence vote on budget today
OTTAWA — The minority Liberal government will be put to the test for the second time in two days on Friday, with MPs voting on a Bloc Québécois amendment to the budget.
The Bloc’s motion calls on the House of Commons to reject the government’s budget, which the party says will “hurt Quebec” because it fails to increase provincial health and old age security transfers for seniors aged 65 to 74, and to combat climate change.
It is unclear if any other party will be supporting this amendment, which the Liberals have declared would be considered a vote of confidence for the government. That means that if it is adopted, the government will fall, and Canadians will be headed to an early election.
But it seems highly unlikely that a majority of MPs will be supporting the Bloc’s motion.
This week, Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet used part of his response to the budget to reiterate that his party’s ultimate goal is to see Quebec separate from the rest of Canada.
“I believe that Quebeckers should be promoting their own major project,” he said on Wednesday. “That project is, of course, an independent Quebec. That is the project that deserves our vote. It will be called the country of Quebec. That will be our sole identity.”
The vote comes less than 24 hours after a first confidence vote on the Liberals’ budget.
On Thursday evening, a Conservative sub-amendment to the budget — which called for a lower deficit and a clear plan to build more oil and gas pipelines, among other things — was defeated by the Liberals, the Bloc, the NDP and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.
A handful of Conservative MPs were absent from the vote, including Alberta member Matt Jeneroux, who had just announced that he would be resigning from his seat.
Interim NDP Leader Don Davies said his party could not support a motion that called for deeper cuts, while the Bloc signalled they are against promoting more oil pipelines.
The third confidence vote will be on the budget itself. It is set to happen as early as Nov. 17, after MPs come back from a break week to commemorate Remembrance Day.
National Post calevesque@postmedia.com
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