Well, we still have a government... for the time being. Apparently Harper is going to give it a rest at least until after Summer recess...
CBC
Government survives two confidence votes
Last Updated Thu, 19 May 2005 18:25:19 EDT
CBC News
OTTAWA - By a razor-thin margin, Paul Martin's minority government survived a confidence vote late Thursday afternoon, staving off a snap election.
With the support of Independent MP Chuck Cadman, the House voted evenly 152 to 152 on Bill C-48, an amendment to the budget that adds $4.6 billion in social program spending and delays corporate tax cuts.
Independent MP Chuck Cadman votes during confidence vote on the federal budget in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Thursday, May 19, 2005. (CP photo)
That left Speaker of the House Peter Milliken, who is a Liberal MP, to break the tie and vote for the budget. The Speaker only votes in the event of a tie.
If the amendment had failed, Martin would have asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call a general election likely for the end of June, only a year after the last election, in June 2004.
The amendment was one of two-non-confidence votes that could have toppled Martin's government.
But there was little drama over the result of the Liberal's budget bill, Bill C-43, as Conservative Leader Stephen Harper had already said his party would vote in favour.
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It was expected the second non-confidence vote would be decided by a couple votes.
With the defection of former Tory MP Belinda Stronach to the Liberal fold, the Liberal-NDP coalition on the budget amendment totalled 150 votes leading up to the vote – one fewer than the Conservative-Bloc Québécois coalition.
(A Liberal MP agreed to sit out the vote as a courtesy because cancer surgery was keeping Conservative MP Darrel Stinson away from the House of Commons.)
Prime Minister Paul Martin leaves his office to take part in confidence vote in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa Thursday, May 19, 2005. (CP photo)
Independent MP Carolyn Parrish, a former Liberal, had said she would support the budget, giving the Liberals 151 votes.
Earlier Thursday, Independent MP David Kilgour had confirmed he would vote against the amendment, meaning all eyes were focused on Cadman.
Cadman had said that he wanted to hear from his constituents before making a final decision on how he would vote. But after a recent poll of 600 eligible voters in his riding of Surrey North indicated two-thirds of respondents didn't want an election, he had hinted that he would support the budget.
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has indicated he will not continue to test the government with more non-confidence motions before the House breaks for summer recess next month.
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Who knew she she enjoys cracking Jon Stewart-esqe jokes at functions:
Hybrid Mode
