Prime Minister Mark Carney heads to a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill Tuesday.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
The minority Liberal government’s Speech from the Throne has passed, meaning Prime Minister Mark Carney has survived its first major test of confidence.
The motion, which is styled as a reply to the Throne Speech, was passed on division in an unrecorded vote in the House of Commons Wednesday evening. That means that while the vote was not unanimous, specific parties and their MPs did not have to state explicitly how they voted.
Because it was deemed a confidence vote, if it had not passed it could have triggered a snap election. Delivered by King Charles III on May 27, the Throne Speech asserted Canada’s sovereignty and largely focused on building up the Canadian economy and addressing the housing shortage.
Interim NDP leader Don Davies said earlier Wednesday that his party would not be supporting the Throne Speech. While he noted Canadians do not want an election, he said that his party is taking a principled approach.
Speaking to reporters, he said the speech does not prioritize the needs of working families. He criticized it for not being focused enough on health care access and housing, particularly non-market options.
“We’ve scanned the Throne Speech very carefully from cover to cover,” he said. “Frankly, it’s a conservative-light Throne Speech.”
The Conservatives had not said how the party will vote. Bloc Québécois spokesperson Julien Coulombe-Bonnafous told The Globe and Mail a few hours before the vote that it had not yet made a decision.
On Monday, opposition parties voted for and passed a Conservative amendment to the Liberal motion calling on the government to release a budget or economic update before the House of Commons rises for the summer break.
However, the Liberals said the government is not bound by that vote.
With reports from Bill Curry and The Canadian Press
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the Throne Speech was passed on Monday evening. It was passed on Wednesday evening.