The minority Liberal government, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, successfully navigated a second confidence vote regarding its budget on Friday. This vote followed a similar one on Thursday evening, where MPs rejected a Bloc Québécois amendment that sought to block the budget. Both the Liberals and Conservatives opposed the amendment, which argued that the budget did not meet the demands of the Bloc. In contrast, the New Democratic Party (NDP) sided with the Bloc in the vote.

The previous day's vote also aimed to reject the budget, citing dissatisfaction from the Conservatives. In that instance, the Liberals, Bloc, and NDP united against the Conservative sub-amendment. Typically, these votes are procedural and lack significant attention, as opposition parties routinely propose amendments to reject government budgets.

However, the Liberals have expressed uncertainty about their ability to secure support for the budget, increasing scrutiny on these amendment votes. Budget votes are classified as confidence votes, meaning a loss could trigger a new election. While rare, past budget amendment votes have led to government collapses, the most notable being in 1979 when former Prime Minister Joe Clark's government fell due to a failed budget vote.

As MPs prepare for a one-week recess for Remembrance Day, the official first reading of the budget is anticipated when they reconvene the following Monday. Despite the recent votes, opposition parties have not indicated they will support the budget itself. The Conservatives have already declared their opposition, and the Bloc has suggested it is unlikely to support the budget as well. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, who voted for the Bloc's amendment, stated she would need to see significant changes to the budget before offering her support. Meanwhile, the NDP is still considering its options.

The Liberal government introduced the budget on Tuesday, which proposes substantial new spending aimed at bolstering an economy affected by U.S. tariffs, alongside cuts to the public service that the government claims will yield significant savings. Traditionally, the leader of the Official Opposition presents the main amendment to the budget after their address in the House of Commons. However, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre did not propose an amendment during his speech, allowing Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet to introduce his own. The Conservatives later submitted their sub-amendment on Thursday morning, but Poilievre's procedural oversight is not expected to impact the overall outcome of the budget or the government.