Carney Government Survives First Confidence Vote, Faces Another Test Friday

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s minority Liberal government narrowly survived its first confidence vote over the federal budget on Thursday evening, with crucial support from the New Democratic Party (NDP), the Bloc Québécois, and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. However, another key confidence vote looms before the week’s end.
The vote defeated a Conservative sub-amendment to the Bloc’s budget motion, which sought to insert the Conservatives’ own spending and tax priorities into the government’s fiscal plan. The Bloc’s amendment itself will come to a vote on Friday, which will serve as the next major test of the government’s stability.
Government House Leader Steven Mackinnon confirmed both votes have been designated matters of confidence, meaning defeat would trigger the government’s collapse. “They are matters of confidence,” said communications director Mark Kennedy.
NDP interim leader Don Davies said his caucus voted with the Liberals to block the Conservative proposal, arguing that it would have slashed critical spending. “The Conservatives want massive cuts to public spending,” Davies told reporters. “That’s the opposite of what Canada needs right now—we should be investing in the economy, not cutting it.”
After the question period, Carney praised the NDP’s support. “They made the right choice,” he said, before leaving the chamber.
The Conservatives and Bloc have both opposed the budget, claiming it fails to address their respective priorities. The NDP has yet to declare its final stance, saying it is still reviewing the fiscal document.
The minority Liberals, who recently increased their seat count to 170 after Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont crossed the floor from the Conservatives, will still need at least two additional votes to survive any future confidence challenges.