Conservative, NDP caucuses weighing a budget vote that could trigger an election: sources | CBC News

"Senior Conservative sources say the party's leadership does not want an election right now, but they are also opposed to voting for the new Liberal government's first budget given the potential reputational risk of backing Prime Minister Mark Carney and an agenda they simply don't support. A Conservative source says speculation about the Liberals potentially losing the budget vote is not contrived as, at this time, there are not enough votes for it to pass in the House after it is tabled on Tuesday."

"Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has made a series of demands to the Liberals in exchange for votes on the budget, including scrapping the industrial carbon tax and keeping the deficit below $42 billion. But there is no realistic expectation that they will be fulfilled given the government has already signalled they are a non-starter. The Bloc Quebecois has also made some expensive demands, including increased Old Age Security payouts,"

"The Bloc Quebecois has also made some expensive demands, including increased Old Age Security payouts, more generous health transfers to the provinces and interest-free loans for first-time homebuyers policies that are unlikely to be enacted in full given the government is intent on reining in spending. But the Liberals have made some outreach to the Bloc and Thursday agreed to include at least one of their demands a crackdown on a tax-evasion scheme the trucking industry has long opposed."

Conservative and NDP caucuses are debating whether to vote down the federal budget and potentially trigger an election. Conservative leadership does not want an election but opposes supporting the Liberals' first budget because of reputational risk and policy disagreement. Pierre Poilievre has demanded scrapping the industrial carbon tax and keeping the deficit below $42 billion, demands the government has signalled are non-starters. The Bloc seeks increased Old Age Security, larger health transfers and interest-free loans for first-time homebuyers, while Liberals agreed to at least one Bloc demand: a crackdown on a trucking tax-evasion scheme. Conservatives have consulted the NDP and Bloc about voting strategy and current counts suggest the budget may lack enough votes to guarantee passage.

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