Elizabeth May to prop up Liberal budget, avoiding election
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is bailing out Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal minority government, vowing to vote in favour of the federal budget and prevent an election.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is bailing out Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal minority government, vowing to vote in favour of the federal budget and prevent an election.
Elizabeth May has pledged to support the Liberal government’s budget to prevent an election, citing climate promises.
“I will vote yes to avoid an election,” May told reporters on Parliament Hill on Monday. She said she received a “firm commitment” that the government will meet Canada’s targets under the Paris climate agreement.
“I’m not giving them any kind of blank cheque,” May added, while acknowledging ongoing concerns with the budget. “We are at the very edge of it being too late for us to make sure that our own children and grandchildren alive today can live in a livable world.”
May’s decision gives the Liberals a vital vote, but not a guarantee. The government currently holds 169 seats—two short of a majority—and needs support from at least one more opposition MP or an abstention to pass the budget and avoid an early election.
The New Democrats have not confirmed their vote, though internal discussions have focused on affordability, pharmacare, and housing. The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois have already pledged to oppose the budget. (Unsure on NDP stance given recent announcements)
Tonight’s vote is the final hurdle, following two earlier confidence motions on the budget bill that the Liberals survived.
The 2025 budget proposes $141 billion in new spending over five years, with major commitments to housing construction, clean energy programs, and increased benefits for students and families. It also forecasts a deficit of $78.3 billion this fiscal year.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has criticized the government for “fiscal recklessness,” warning that persistent deficits will continue to drive up inflation.
While May has not explicitly endorsed all Liberal spending priorities, her environmental focus broadly aligns with recent initiatives such as the $392 million pledged to support agriculture and climate resilience in developing countries, announced last week at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil.