Clouds of uncertainty over the future of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s minority Liberal government lifted Monday after Green Party Leader Elizabeth May delivered a decisive “yes vote” on the Liberals’ first budget. The motion passed 170–168, sparing Canadians from heading back to the polls for the second time in seven months.

The narrow victory ensured the survival of Carney’s first budget, which has faced sustained opposition since its introduction on November 5. It also marked the third time the Liberals secured enough support to withstand no-confidence attempts, after earlier motions from the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois.

Canada has not had a majority government for several years, and successive Liberal minority governments have relied on support from other opposition parties to pass key legislation. Under the previous government, the NDP agreed to back the Liberals in exchange for commitments including expanded dental care. In contrast, Carney has struggled to secure consistent backing since winning a minority mandate in the spring on a pledge to end U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff war.

Several opposition MPs were absent for Monday’s vote, helping the bill pass. The Liberals framed their budget as a strategy to control spending while investing in Canada’s competitiveness amid U.S. tariffs. The Conservatives criticized the government for allowing the deficit to rise well above their proposed Can $47 billion threshold, reaching an estimated Can $90 billion instead. The budget outlines nearly $90 billion in new spending over five years, largely directed toward capital investments.

Support for the budget solidified when May announced she would back the fiscal plan after Carney publicly committed to meeting Canada’s Paris Agreement climate goals. Following question period on November 17, she told reporters that the prime minister’s pledge shifted her position. During the exchange, Carney stated, “This budget puts us on the path for real results for climate, for nature, for reconciliation. I can confirm to this House that we will respect our Paris commitments for climate change, and we’re determined to achieve them.”

The budget process has seen several political twists, including Nova Scotia Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont crossing the floor to join the Liberal caucus. This differed sharply from the dynamics of the previous Parliament, when the NDP frequently supported the Liberals against Conservative-led no-confidence motions, and at times the Bloc Québécois did as well.

This time, the Liberals delayed presenting the budget until early November and initially failed to win the backing of two of the three major opposition parties. Opposition leaders argued the fiscal plan did not reflect their priorities. The Green Party’s position shifted only after Carney’s climate commitments, ultimately giving the government the votes needed to avoid an early election.

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