Carneys Minority Government Faces Budget Vote

OTTAWA, Ontario — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's minority Liberal government faces a pivotal test Monday as Parliament votes on his first federal budget, a defeat of which could force a snap election less than eight months after the last one.

The vote, scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Eastern Time in the 343-seat House of Commons, serves as a confidence measure for Carney's administration. The Liberals hold 170 seats, two short of a majority, requiring support from at least two opposition members or abstentions from four to pass the plan. A failure would mark the first time since 1980 that Canada holds two elections within a year, following a similar budget-related collapse under then-Prime Minister Joe Clark.

The budget, unveiled November 4, outlines C$167.3 billion in additional deficits over five years compared to prior forecasts, driven by new spending on defense, housing, infrastructure and port expansions. Officials described it as a response to U.S. tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump and aimed at diversifying export markets away from the United States while boosting productivity through capital investments totaling about C$280 billion. These measures are projected to...