Davies says NDP MPs permitted to “abstain” from budget vote

Interim NDP Leader Don Davies alluded to the possibility that some party members may opt to vote neither for nor against the Liberals’ upcoming budget.

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Interim NDP Leader Don Davies alluded to the possibility that some party members may opt to vote neither for nor against the Liberals’ upcoming budget, which will be tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

“Abstentions are allowed,” Davies told CBC News during an interview with anchor Rosemary Barton on Sunday. “You don’t have parties that vote at cross purposes on confidence measures but it is a tradition that it is possible for some to miss the vote or abstain if they want.”

As a minority government, the Liberals need support from opposition MPs to get their budget passed. If not, Canadians will soon be heading back to the polls for a forced snap election as the budget is a confidence vote.

According to Davies, the NDP won’t support an austerity budget and wants to see the Carney government support job-creating investments.

Ultimately, Davies said his MPs will make their “decision together.”

Meanwhile, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told reporters on Sunday that his party has ruled out the option of abstaining on the budget vote but stopped short of confirming whether or not they’d support.

“The reality is that we’re going to show up and do our jobs to fight for an affordable budget,” said Poilievre. “I can’t tell you any more than that till I see the thing.”

The Bloc Québécois has also ruled out allowing its MPs to abstain, but clarified that they have a number of demands that are non-negotiable to receive their support.

While the budget will be tabled on Tuesday, the main budget votes won’t take place until later in the month as the House will not be in session for the week following Remembrance Day.

Prime Minister Mark Carney declined to say whether he was confident that his budget would pass when asked by reporters during his visit to South Korea on Sunday.

“I’m always prepared to stand up for the right thing,” he said, adding that he was ready for another election if necessary.

While the prime minister had campaigned on reining in federal spending, Interim Parliamentary Budget Officer Jason Jacques said Canadians will soon face challenges unlike anything he’s seen in decades.

“I can’t think of another time over the past 30 years where a government has said we both need to engage in significant austerity, I think the Prime Minister used the word austerity, and at the same time significant investment,” testified Jacques during the Senate national finance committee last month.

According to the PBO’s latest report, interest charges on the debt alone will cost taxpayers over $55 billion this year. That’s more than the federal government transfers to provinces annually for healthcare.

By 2030, debt interest charges are projected to cost Canadians $82.4 billion annually.

“The federal debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to increase from 41.7 per cent in 2024-25, rising above 43 per cent over the medium term,” reads the report.