Martin Safe For Now

[Said1]

Liberal budget passes with Tories abstaining

CTV.ca News Staff

The Liberal government's 2005-06 federal budget has officially passed and their minority government has survived -- with a twist.

The Conservative Party abstained from voting on the budget, as they said they would. (had they voted against it; new election) The Bloc Quebecois rose to vote against the budget. So did the NDP.

Former Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish, who was expelled from caucus by Prime Minister Paul Martin in November and now sits as an Independent, supported the government.

The final vote was 132-73.

"It means now that Paul Martin has clear sailing for the foreseeable future," CTV's Mike Duffy told Newsnet.

Harper explained his party's stance earlier on Wednesday.

"We voted on our budget position last night and we will let the government proceed," he told reporters outside the House.

"But we have put them on notice and there's certainly various line items and implementation, things that are going to flow from this budget that we will be opposing them on."

Duffy said the government might face some struggles when Parliament deals with spending estimates, the more detailed allocation of funds, later this spring.

"Even if one or two items of the estimates were challenged, it's the sort of thing the government could argue wasn't a repudiation of their entire economic program, but just one small specific point."

On Tuesday, the Conservatives' amendments to the budget were defeated 85-205. They wanted deeper tax cuts, funding cut off for the gun registry and the Kyoto Accord denounced, among other things.

On Monday, the Bloc's motion was defeated 209-71. It called for additional money to the provinces and the unemployed.

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