OTTAWA — The Bloc Québécois and the New Democratic Party (NDP) have announced their support for the Liberal government in the first of three confidence votes regarding Prime Minister Mark Carney's inaugural budget. This decision ensures that the Liberals will maintain a majority in the House of Commons for this vote, which is scheduled for Thursday evening.

Both parties will vote against a Conservative sub-amendment that seeks to reject the budget. The Conservatives argue that the budget fails to reduce the deficit to the promised $42 billion and lacks a comprehensive plan for oil and gas pipeline development. Interim NDP Leader Don Davies criticized the Conservative motion, stating, "It’s absolutely irresponsible, it’s extremely right-wing, and it’s not the direction that the country should be going in."

The vote is anticipated to take place around 5:45 p.m. A second confidence vote will occur on Friday, focusing on a Bloc amendment that calls for the budget's rejection due to insufficient support for Quebec and a lack of a clear climate change strategy. Bloc House leader Christine Normandin expressed her party's opposition to the Conservative motion, stating it disregards their demands and promotes oil and pipeline interests.

The government has classified both the Bloc and Conservative motions as confidence votes. Mark Kennedy, a spokesperson for the Government House leader, explained, "As these motions both explicitly reject the budget, they are considered to be matters of confidence."

If the minority Liberal government loses the confidence of the House, it may be required to resign or seek the dissolution of Parliament, leading to a general election. The main budget vote is expected to occur as early as mid-November, as budgetary matters are inherently considered confidence issues.

Currently, the Liberals hold 170 seats, just two short of a majority in the 343-seat House, following the recent defection of former Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont to the Liberals. It remains uncertain whether the NDP or individual MPs will support the budget or abstain from voting. Davies noted that NDP members have yet to finalize their stance on the Bloc's amendment and the budget itself.

The Conservatives and the Bloc have both indicated they will oppose the budget in its current form, a sentiment echoed by Green Party Leader Elizabeth May earlier this week. In a notable move, the Bloc introduced an amendment to the budget, a rare action for them since they were the official opposition in 1997. This came after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre did not submit his party's motion following his speech on Wednesday. Instead, his finance critic, Jasraj Singh Hallan, presented a motion that became a sub-amendment to the Bloc's proposal.

Sam Lilly, a spokesperson for Poilievre, did not clarify whether the omission was an oversight or intentional. He stated, "Amendments and sub-amendments can be made any time within the first two days of budget debates."

Davies remarked on the situation, suggesting that the Conservatives were "asleep at the switch" and allowed the Bloc to take the lead. Liberal MP Sean Casey commented on Poilievre's challenges, noting that the recent floor-crossing and rumors of the government attempting to recruit other members may have affected his focus.

Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet criticized the Liberals for engaging in political maneuvering rather than negotiating in good faith with other parties. He stated, "It is like they have cast all of us in an episode of ‘House of Cards’ with the craziest plot twists imaginable. It is embarrassing to watch. I look forward to the break."