Liberal House leader Steve MacKinnon signalled Tuesday that he’s concerned the government’s budget might not get support from the opposition benches, while at the same time dismissing some demands other parties have laid out.
The Liberal government will need the co-operation of at least one other party in order to pass the budget, which is being tabled on Nov. 4. Because the budget is a confidence vote, Canadians could be facing another election if it doesn’t pass.
“When I see opposition parties ruling out the possibility of voting for the budget, that’s starting to worry me,” MacKinnon told reporters on Parliament Hill.
Opposition parties have begun laying out some priorities for the upcoming budget.
Asked about the upcoming federal budget, Steven MacKinnon says he’s concerned that two opposition parties ‘are not taking this matter very seriously’ and that he doesn’t think Canadians want another election.
On Monday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre penned a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney saying he wants to see an “affordable budget” that includes broad tax cuts and keeping the deficit under $42 billion.
Meanwhile, the Bloc Québécois has said they have six key priorities for the budget including: an increase to the federal health transfer to the provinces, new infrastructure investments, an expansion of the rapid housing initiative, interest-free loans for first-time homebuyers and boosting Old Age Security (OAS) payments for those ages 65 to 75.
Despite raising concerns about getting support for the budget, MacKinnon dismissed both the Conservative and Bloc demands.
“We intend to present a plan to Canadians to deal with this very critical moment in our history, and what we’re seeing is opposition parties — the Bloc Québécois, who without having even read the budget, eliminating the possibility that they’ll support it — and Conservatives making just ludicrous demands,” he said Tuesday.
Up to government to get support: NDP
NDP interim Leader Don Davies fired back at MacKinnon’s comments, saying it’s up to the government to gather support for its budget.
“The question of whether there is an election is entirely up to Mr. Carney. As a leader of a government with a minority in Parliament, it’s up to him to craft a budget that can win the support of at least one opposition party. That’s his job,” Davies said during a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday.
NDP interim leader Don Davies has dismissed reports that his party would negotiate with the Liberal government for budget support as ‘simply not true.’ He said the NDP will wait until the budget is tabled next month before deciding to back it.
“For Mr. MacKinnon to say he’s worried, well that has me worried. Because the government should be reaching out to all the parties and working collaboratively to make sure that they can get enough votes to have the budget passed.”
While the NDP caucus was reduced to only seven seats after April’s election, they still have enough sway to determine the outcome of a vote. The Liberals could pass the budget if New Democrats support it or abstain from the vote.
Davies met with Carney earlier this month to lay out his party’s priorities for the budget. He told reporters after the meeting that he wants to see “substantial investment” in jobs, health care and housing — though he didn’t list specific items.
Carney has indicated that this year’s deficit will be larger than the last — though the Liberals have promised to balance the operational spending on the day-to-day running of government in three years.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) released a report last month forecasting that the government will post an annual deficit of $68.5 billion this year, up from $51.7 billion last year.
But that update does not include plans to incrementally ramp up defence spending to meet the updated NATO benchmark of five per cent of GDP by 2035, nor does it factor in Ottawa’s announced plans to reduce public service spending over the next three years.
