Liberals survive key budget vote [Canada]

The Liberal government survived a crucial budget vote Thursday night by a sliver, effectively ending the possibility of a snap election and giving the governing minority a bit of breathing room to finish this session of Parliament before the summer break.

By the closest of margins, the Grits, along with the support of the NDP and independent MPs Chuck Cadman and Carolyn Parrish, pushed the budget with NDP amendments through, thus surviving a non-confidence motion on Bill C-48 which contained $4.6-billion in concessions for the Democrats. The final result was 152 to 152, with the Speaker breaking the tie to make it 153 for the government.

Despite the fact that the budget will go back to committee and then get a third reading in the House, the vote brings an end to a tumultuous period for the minority Liberals. It also buys time for the Grits who have promised an election call after the Gomery report into the sponsorship program, expected in the late fall.

Mr. Cadman, who did not reveal his intention until the vote, stood among the Tory side of the House to support the government, and was greeted by a standing and thunderous ovation by the Liberals.

A relieved-looking Prime Minister told reporters on his way to a caucus meeting held immediately after the vote that he recognized the precariousness of the state of the House.

He also indicated that he wants to return to the business of the Commons and called for a return of decorum in the House.

"This is a very important day. There is no doubt the vote could not have been closer. The government has the confidence of the House but I believe it's very important for our part and the opposition that we now make this Parliament work the way that Canadians want it to."

Opposition Leader Stephen Harper rallied his troops, saying he "deeply" regretted the decision of MPs to allow the amended budget to pass, and with, he pointed out, the "slimmest of margins."

He said Thursday night's razor-thin win for the Liberals only points out the necessity of a strong Opposition dedicated to replacing the government. He vowed to continue fighting to bring down the government, although he didn't say when the next move might be made.

During the second vote on the NDP amendment, the tension was still palpable when House Speaker Peter Milliken, upon hearing that the vote was tied at 152 to 152, was called upon to break it.

"I don't know why Honourable Members keep doing this to me," he joked to tinkles of laughter in the Commons.

Earlier, the main budget bill, Bill C-43, passed 250 to 54 with the support of the NDP and the Tories and key MP Mr. Cadman.

Thursday evening's momentous vote rested on Mr. Cadman, who ended up being the sole MP to ensure the vote would pass. The MP, who has cancer and who flew into Ottawa especially for the vote, said afterward that he decided only 30 minutes before which side he would support, but in the end went with what the constituents of Surrey told him -- that they did not want an election right now.

"I'm bound as an independent especially to represent the views of my constituents. They sent me here with healthy numbers. To represent them. And it's a commitment that I made to them that I want to make sure I understand where they're at on these important issues," he told a reporter after the vote.

Earlier in the day, independent David Kilgour said he was disturbed by the government's assignment of new Liberal MP Belinda Stronach, who crossed the floor, to a cabinet post. He also said he could not, in good faith, back the NDP amendment.

A third independent, Ms. Parrish, came and voted in favour of the Liberals despite the fact that she was suffering from severe stomach pains.

Having won the budget vote, the Liberals expect to close the spring session without another attempt by the Opposition to bring it down.

The Tories have said that if they won't try to trigger an election before Parliament breaks for the summer recess.

However, they could use an opposition day slated for May 31 to again try to topple the government.

Mr. Harper called for a renewed push for the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois to continue to work to bring down the government.

"Tonight, the Liberals bought a victory, one that will sow the seeds of its own destruction, one that will present our party with great opportunities," he said.

Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe said his party, which voted against both the budget and the amendment, will continue the fight to bring it down.

"I think that this government doesn't have the moral authority to govern. They managed to win this vote as you've just seen. But we will continue our struggle. I think in the coming months, we will see that we were right and that this government doesn't deserve to be here," he said, adding that the Bloc will monitor the situation on a case-by-case basis. "We will certainly continue to act in the best interests of Quebec."

But NDP Leader Jack Layton was ecstatic that his party's amendments were adopted by the Commons. "We're very happy to have been a part of making the kind of budget that really is going to respond to the things that Canadians need right now, [such as] post-secondary education and environment."

It could be September before the Liberal minority faces another test. That would push a potential election date late into the year.

But that does not exclude one of the parties from using Opposition days to introduce a no-confidence motion. Several more are coming up before the end of the spring session.

It has been a long winter of political bickering and increasing hostility toward the federal Liberals by the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois, who in the end decided they could not in good faith support a deal the Liberals made with the NDP which included $4.6-billion in concessions.

However, the failure of the Tories to defeat the budget is yet another blow to the party after the loss of Ms. Stronach and a dip in rosy poll results that showed them leading the Liberals at some points.

But the latest poll for The Globe and Mail-CTV by The Strategic Counsel between May 12 and May 15, found that 33 per cent of Canadians would vote Liberal, compared with 30 per cent for the Tories and 19 per cent for the NDP.

Last year's election saw the Tories battle for gains in seat-rich Ontario, where the party was able to grab a mere 23 out of 106 seats. It was a bitter campaign, with fights over the sponsorship program and health care and numerous personal attacks.

The dizzyingly topsy-turvy week leading up to Thursday night's crucial vote began Tuesday with the defection of high-profile MP Ms. Stronach to the Liberals from the Tories. That appeared to give the Liberals the upper hand in Thursday night's vote. Then, on Wednesday, Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis was carried out of the House on a stretcher after suffering chest pains, but he was later declared to be healthy.

On Wednesday night, Conservative MP Gurmant Grewal said he had been approached by the Liberals, who tried to woo him to cross the floor.

Things were looking even worse for the Liberals early Thursday morning after Ms. Parrish, who has already said she would support her former Liberal party, had stomach pains and it was feared she wouldn't make the vote.

Later, she said: "Come hell or high water, there's no frigging way I'm going to let one ovary bring the government down," and vowed to appear.

After the vote, Mr. Martin promised his MPs and Canadians that the government will get back to the business of governing, starting on Friday.

"The scenes Canadians have been seeing on their television screens, people shouting and screaming at each other, all of that has to stop. We have to bring back a house, a Chamber, where the important debates can take place once again," he said.

Next week, MPs have a break and return to the House on May 30 for the final few weeks of this session of Parliament, which will end June 23.

Liberals win in a tied vote, broken by the Speaker. martin sold the house and bought off as many people he could to get this narrow victory. And the Conservatives are dropping in the pols. I hope Canada does break up. It will be the best thing for everyone involved.

The break up of Canada is inevitable now. All the liberals have done is strengthen Quebec's separatist party, proving that corruption in Ontario is incurable.
Jack Leighton hammered this fact home, choosing to be bought off with taxpayers money in order to obtain ridiculous communist dreams which are nothing but BAD for Canada. Make no mistake, Canadians will never see any benefit from these payoffs, they will disappear withing the bureaucracy.
Jack Leighton is no less sleazy and corrupt than the blond Bimbo because of it.

It's a sad day for Canada; Liberals may be celebrating, and lefty media carrying on with it's usual spin this morning. I suspect we will see an increase in western seperation talk unless the conservatives can pull off a non- confidence vote in the next couple weeks. For Quebec separatists, they are confident that their time has come. Communist/socialist liberalism is again destroying a nation.

Just a few short years ago, anyone who spoke seriously about Western independence was looked on as a raving, right-wing lunatic. Now who's crazy?

To me looking in from the outside it looks like a pro-corruption vote by parliment. How am I off base? I don't understand how folks up there can tolerate such a corrupt government. Break-up or no, it is a sad day for North American democracy.

You don't understand. Only the Liberla party reflects True Canadian Values(tm). To many people in Canada, the socialist Liberal party's platform must be enacted for the common good of the country. The ends justify the means because the hateful conservatives will cut taxes, cut government spending and repeal programs that will ultimately hurt womyn and minorities. National daycare will be lost and conservative homophobic views will stigmatize gay marriage.

Canadians actually believe that the ultra-liberal socialist PC trainwreck is how the country should operate. It doesn't matter how corrupt the government is as long as it is a liberal government.

Agreed. The real winner in last night's vote was the Bloc. With the constant drip of Ad-scam revelations to follow, the Liberals position in Quebec will only get worse. Prime Paul Martin bought time for his government but he probably sealed the break-up of the country. There some things money can't buy - not even national unity.