Federal Government Tables Budget 2025

Overview

The Hon. François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue, introduced the 2025 Federal Budget entitled: Canada Strong.

Budget 2025 has been characterized as “generational investments” to grow the economy, based on three pillars: Build, Protect, Empower. 

1. Build major infrastructure, homes, industries to grow the economy 
2. Protect communities, borders, sovereignty 
3. Empower Canadians with better careers and more affordable life 

More than 75% of actions outlined in Budget 2025 are intended to respond to significant global economic shifts. 42% of Budget 2025 is to strengthen Canadian sovereignty and 36% is to bring down costs for Canadians.

Key Budget Forecasts

Budget 2025 forecasts a $78.3 billion deficit for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The government intends to continue to run a deficit of $65 billion in 2026-27 before lowering gradually to $58 billion in 2027-28. By 2028-29, the deficit will entirely support investments that grow the economy.

The total net new government spending for the 2025-26 fiscal year is $20.1 billion.
The medium-term outlook has weakened. Canada’s real GDP is now projected to grow just above 1 per cent annually in 2025 and 2026 compared to projections of about 2 per cent in the 2024 Fall Economic Statement (FES 2024). 
 
Budget 2025 rests on two fiscal anchors:

• Balancing day-to-day operating spending with revenues by 2028–29, shifting spending toward investments that grow the economy; and
• Maintaining a declining deficit-to-GDP ratio to ensure disciplined fiscal management for future generations.

 In addition to the two fiscal anchors, Budget 2025 enables $1 trillion in total investments over the next five years through smarter public spending and stronger capital investment.

The Federal government’s net debt-to-GDP ratio stands at 13.3 per cent.

Analysis 

Budget 2025 represents the first budget for Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Finance Minister, François-Philippe Champagne, and the first federal budget since April 2024. This is also the first time that a budget has been delivered in the Fall versus the traditional Spring timing. 

The goal of this change is to create a more favourable and predictable fiscal planning environment for federal government departments, subnational governments, and the private sector to more accurately plan their budgets for their next fiscals. Spending announcements on capital investment in the fall budget will have time to receive Parliamentary approval before the start of the spring construction season, resulting in more certainty and predictability.

To mark his first budget, Prime Minister Carney is betting big through new spending of $89.7 billion over five years to achieve the level of ambition he has alluded to for weeks that will transform the economy, counter sluggish growth and reduce its reliance on the US economy. Billed as a generational investment in building, protecting, and empowering Canadians, the Prime Minister is setting his ambitions high to recreate the Canadian economy via major defence investment, tax incentives for business, housing and local infrastructure as well as catalyzing private capital to invest more. While there are clear caveats throughout the budget such as matching commitments from provinces related to local infrastructure investments, he is wanting to show he is unafraid to ‘swing for the fences’. This budget will get tested against his ability to negotiate with US President Donald Trump in the upcoming CUSMA negotiations and future actions by the US lays risks on the Prime Minister’s plan. Expect the Prime Minister to use this Budget as his blueprint to defend how he plans to navigate a further tumultuous trading relationship with the US.     

Separately, while the government will seek to focus its message on the big investments it has planned for reshaping the Canadian economy, the Prime Minister is demonstrating he is not shy to make tough choices and cuts to achieve his objectives. His commitment to addressing inefficiencies and rightsizing the public service via attrition, cuts and sunsetting of programs that total roughly $56 billion in savings are geared to offset some of the major new spending commitments. This includes workforce adjustment and attrition to return the size of the public service to a more sustainable level by seeing a drop of roughly 40,000 positions. This action is designed to show he is capable of fiscal disciplined and focusing taxpayer funds towards investments and less on operational expense.

The Prime Minister is using this budget to define himself and his government away from the Trudeau government which was more social policy focused than business focused. This budget avoids mentions of contentious environmental policies which defined the previous government and this budget is meant to be seen as a fresh start to focus on mobilizing investment and business activity for the long-term.  

Key Commitments 

Fast-tracking nation-building projects

• Budget 2025 proposes to provide $213.8 million over five years, starting in 2025-26, for the Major Projects Office. Funding will also support the Indigenous Advisory Council. 
• Budget 2025 announces the government’s intention for the Major Projects Office to help structure and co-ordinate financing from the private sector, provincial and territorial partners, and the federal government, including through the Canada Infrastructure Bank, Canada Growth Fund, and the Canada Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation.
• In addition to the first five Major Projects announced by the government in September 2025, Budget 2025 outlines the next strategies for major projects, which are at an earlier stage and require further development. They are:
  • Critical Minerals Strategy
  • Wind West Atlantic Energy
  • Pathways Plus
  • Arctic Economic and Security Corridor
  • Port of Churchill Plus
  • Alto High-Speed Rail

Seizing the Full Potential of Artificial Intelligence

• Budget 2025 proposes to provide $925.6 million over five years, starting in 2025-26, to support a large-scale sovereign public AI infrastructure that will boost AI compute availability and support access to sovereign AI compute capacity for public and private research. 

Protecting Canadian Intellectual Property

• To ensure Canada’s innovation ecosystem is equipped to protect Canadian intellectual property, and support Canadian SMEs to commercialise and leverage their intangible assets to compete in the global marketplace:
  • Budget 2025 proposes to provide $84.4 million over four years, starting in 2026-27, to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to extend the Elevate IP program, as well as $22.5 million over three years, starting in 2026-27, to renew support for the Innovation Asset Collective’s Patent Collective.
  • Budget 2025 proposes to provide $75 million over three years, starting in 2026-27, to the National Research Council to extend the IP Assist Program.

2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan

• Budget 2025 announces that the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan will stabilise permanent resident admission targets at 380,000 per year for three years, down from 395,000 in 2025, while increasing the share of economic migrants from 59 per cent to 64 per cent. The new plan will also reduce the target for new temporary resident admissions from 673,650 in 2025 to 385,000 in 2026, and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028.
• The government recognises the role temporary foreign workers play in some sectors of the economy and in some parts of the country. To that end, the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan will consider industries and sectors impacted by tariffs and the unique needs of rural and remote communities.
• In addition, Budget 2025 proposes a one-time initiative to recognise eligible Protected Persons in Canada as permanent residents over the next two years. 
• Budget 2025 also proposes to undertake a one-time measure to accelerate the transition of up to 33,000 work permit holders to permanent residency in 2026 and 2027.

Recruiting International Talent

• Budget 2025 proposes a International Talent Attraction Strategy and Action Plan which will position the immigration system to meet strategic labour market needs. This plan proposes to provide up to $1.7 billion for a suite of recruitment measures, including:
  • $1 billion over 13 years, starting in 2025-26, to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research to launch an accelerated research Chairs initiative to recruit exceptional international researchers to Canadian universities.
  • $400 million over seven years, starting in 2025-26, to the Canada Foundation for Innovation to establish a complementary stream of research infrastructure support to ensure these recruited Chairs have the equipment they need to conduct research in Canada.

Catalysing Investment in Airports and Ports

• Budget 2025 announces the government’s intention to unlock more of the economic potential of Canada’s airports and consider new ways to attract private sector investment, including by negotiating lease extensions with airport authorities, enabling more economic development activities on airport ands, and examining the existing airport ground lease rent formulas. The government’s objective is to ensure the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of Canada’s airports. The government will also consider options for the privatisation of airports.
• Budget 2025 proposes to provide $55.2 million over four years, starting in 2026-27, with $72.5 million in remaining amortisation, and $15.7 million ongoing thereafter, to Transport Canada to support safety- related infrastructure projects and upgrades, including those that support dual-use priorities, at local and regional airports. Funding will be delivered through the Airports Capital Assistance Program, and will also support a priority project to extend the runway at the Transport Canada-owned Îles-de-la-Madeleine Airport.

Generational Infrastructure Investments

• Budget 2025 announces the government’s intention to launch a new Build Communities Strong Fund, to be administered by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, and proposes to provide $51.0 billion over 10 years, starting in 2026-27, and $3.0 billion per year ongoing in new and existing funding for this initiative, including through funding to provincial and territorial governments—and through them to municipalities—to support a wide range of infrastructure projects and help our local communities build Canada strong. The program would be comprised of three streams:
  • A Provincial and Territorial Stream that will provide $17.2 billion over 10 years, starting in 2026-27, to support provincial and territorial infrastructure projects and priorities. Funding will support housing-enabling infrastructure (e.g., roads, water/wastewater), health-related infrastructure (e.g., hospitals), and infrastructure at colleges and universities. To access funds, provinces and territories must agree to cost- match federal funding and to substantially reduce development charges and not levy other taxes that hinder the housing supply.
  • A Direct Delivery Stream, delivered by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, that will provide $6 billion over 10 years, starting in 2026-27, to support regionally significant projects, large building retrofits, climate adaptation, and community infrastructure. Proponents of regionally significant projects would be required to seek private sector investment, including private investment leveraged through Canada Infrastructure Bank financing, before being eligible for funding under this stream.
  • The existing Canada Community-Building Fund will be rebranded as the initiative’s Community Stream. This stream will, as planned, provide $27.8 billion over 10 years, starting in 2026-27, and $3.0 billion per year ongoing to support local infrastructure projects.

Canada’s Climate Competitiveness Strategy

• Budget 2025 outlines the new government’s Climate Competitiveness Strategy, creating the conditions for the investment needed to build an affordable net-zero future in which Canadian businesses are well-positioned to compete and succeed in the global economy.
• To improve the effectiveness of Canada’s industrial carbon pricing system, the government will take the following actions:
  • The government will engage provincial and territorial (PT) governments in setting a multi-decade industrial carbon price trajectory that targets net-zero by 2050
  • The government will improve its application of the benchmark—the tool that ensures all PT industrial pricing systems are harmonised across the country in providing a common, strong price signal.
  • Canada Growth Fund will continue to issue contracts as a means of further improving future carbon price certainty for investors making large, long-duration capital investments. 

Supporting Critical Mineral Projects

• Budget 2025 proposes to provide $2 billion over five years, on a cash basis, starting in 2026-27, to Natural Resources Canada to create the Critical Minerals Sovereign Fund. The fund will make strategic investments in critical minerals projects and companies, including equity investments, loan guarantees, and offtake agreements. 
• Budget 2025 proposes to provide $371.8 million over four years, starting in 2026-27, to Natural Resources Canada to create the First and Last Mile Fund. This new fund would support the development of critical minerals projects and supply chains at the upstream and midstream segments of value chains, with a focus on getting near-term projects into production. The First and Last Mile Fund would absorb the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund and leverage its existing funding envelope to provide up to $1.5 billion in support through 2029-30. 
• Budget 2025 proposes to expand eligibility for the Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit (CMETC) to include an additional 12 critical minerals necessary for defence, semiconductors, energy, and clean technologies: bismuth, cesium, chromium, fluorspar, germanium, indium, manganese, molybdenum, niobium, tantalum, tin, and tungsten. 

Increasing Competition in Canada’s Telecom Sector

• Budget 2025 announces the government’s intention to boost competition, innovation, and productivity through various measures, namely:
  • Pursuing a new “dig once” policy approach to nation-building projects to encourage coordinated installation of fibre optic lines as part of the development of major projects of national significance.
  • Reducing regulatory burden required to deploy telecommunications infrastructure across the country, including by consulting on a streamlined tower-siting process later this year.
  • Ensuring that industry has access to quality spectrum, including by releasing additional spectrum, consulting on a modernised Spectrum Licence Transfer Framework in late 2025-26, and continuing to use the streamlined framework for residual spectrum auctions established in 2021.
  • Working alongside the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to implement the pro-consumer amendments to the Telecommunications Act announced in Budget 2024 that will allow Canadians to more easily renew or switch between home internet, home phone, and cell phone plans.
  • The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission’s ongoing efforts to implement the government’s policy direction to enhance and protect the rights of consumers and to implement new rates for access to wholesale internet services and wireless roaming.

A More Competitive and Innovative Financial System

• Budget 2025 is announcing the first phase of a plan to foster greater competition, innovation, and efficiency in the Canadian financial sector.
  • Unlocking Capital
    •  Budget 2025 proposes to catalyse investment by insurers and financial institutions by repealing the limits on borrowing and portfolio investments in the financial institutions statutes and replacing them with more flexible guidance from the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions.
  • Increasing Competition in the Banking Sector
    • Budget 2025 announces that the government intends to publish draft regulations by spring 2026 to prohibit investment and registered account transfer fees, currently costing Canadians on average $150 per account. Budget 2025 also announces the government’s intention to explore improving the transparency of cross-border transfer fees, including foreign exchange costs for banks, as non-transparent pricing is causing consumers to pay more than expected to send their money internationally.
    • Budget 2025 proposes to amend the Bank Act and the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act to make it easier for federal credit unions to achieve scale and for provincial credit unions to enter the federal framework.
  • Supporting Innovation and Global Competitiveness
    • Budget 2025 also announces the government’s intention to introduce legislation to regulate the issuance of fiat-backed stablecoins in Canada. 

Support for Agriculture, Fish, and Seafood

• $109.2 million in 2025-26 to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for the federal-provincial-territorial cost-shared AgriStability program, to increase the compensation rate for agricultural producers from 80 to 90 per cent, along with raising the payment cap per farm from $3 million to $6 million.
• $372 million over two years, starting in 2026-27, to Natural Resources Canada to establish a Biofuels Production Incentive to support the stability and resiliency of domestic producers of biodiesel and renewable diesel
• $75 million over five years, starting in 2026-27, to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for the AgriMarketing Program to enhance the diversification and promotion of Canada’s agriculture, agri-food, fish, and seafood products into new markets
• $97.5 million over two years, starting in 2025-26, to temporarily increase the Advance Payments Program’s interest-free limit to $500,000 for canola advances for the 2025 and 2026 program years, together with the temporary increase to $250,000 of the interest-free limit for all producers for the 2025 program year

Equipping Companies for Growth and Diversification 

• $5 billion over six years, starting in 2025-26, for the Strategic Response Fund, a new program with flexible terms to help firms in all sectors and regions impacted by tariffs to adapt, diversify, and grow. The program will seek to maintain industrial capacity by offsetting new market access costs, supporting retooling, and helping Canada-based firms to expand or secure new markets. This includes $1 billion in Strategic Innovation Fund support for the steel industry’s transition toward new lines of business and strengthening domestic supply chains announced in July 2025.
• Up to $1 billion over three years, starting in 2025-26, to the Regional Development Agencies for the Regional Tariff Response Initiative to support businesses impacted by tariffs across all affected sectors, including increasing non-repayable contributions for eligible businesses. 

Supporting Workers

• Budget 2025 will launch a new digital jobs and training platform with private-sector partners to connect Canadians more quickly to careers.
  • $570 million over three years, starting in 2025-26, through Labour Market Development Agreements with provinces and territories to support training and employment assistance for workers impacted by tariffs and global market shifts.
  • $382.9 million over five years, starting in 2026-27, and $56.1 million ongoing, to launch new Workforce Alliances to bring together employers, unions, and industry groups to work on ways to help businesses and workers succeed in the changing labour market and coordinate public and private investments in skills development. 
  • Temporary flexibilities to the Employment Insurance Work-Sharing program, as announced on March 7, 2025, to provide EI benefits to eligible employees who agree to work reduced hours due to a decrease in business activity beyond their employer’s control. 
  • Temporary Employment Insurance measures that enhance income supports for Canadian workers whose jobs have been impacted by the economic uncertainty caused by foreign tariffs.
  • $50 million over five years, starting in 2026-27, and $8 million ongoing, to implement a new digital tool to facilitate job search and applications, and launch a national online training platform in partnership with the private sector.

Ensuring Access to Financing

• Budget 2025 commits to launching the Large Enterprise Tariff Loan (LETL) facility, a $10 billion financing facility designed to support otherwise successful Canadian firms negatively affected by actual or potential tariffs and countermeasures. The Canada Enterprise Emergency Funding Corporation (CEEFC) announced its first LETL loan to Algoma Steel Inc., which will provide Algoma with access to $400 million in liquidity, with the Government of Ontario contributing an additional $100 million under the same terms to help stabilise a major Canadian player in the competitive steel industry, amid current disruptions to the global steel trade.
• Budget 2025 commits to enhancing the Business Development Bank of Canada’s $500 million Pivot to Grow program to provide support to eligible small- and medium- sized steel enterprises facing liquidity challenges.
• Budget 2025 commits to $940 million in 2025-26 for the deferral of corporate income tax payments and GST/HST remittances due to the Canada Revenue Agency from April 2 to June 30, 2025, providing up to $40 billion in liquidity support for Canadian businesses. 

Becoming Our Own Best Customer

• The government is launching a new Buy Canadian Policy—moving from “best efforts” to a clear obligation to buy Canadian. When domestic suppliers are not available, purchases will be required to include Canadian content or be sourced from trusted partners. Such cases will remain the exception, not the norm, and will require ministerial approval. To facilitate the implementation of the Buy Canadian Policy, the government will also implement regulatory amendments to ensure that Buy Canadian aspects of federal procurement processes are not subject to review by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal. This new approach will extend to all federal agencies and Crown corporations, like VIA Rail and Alto, which is responsible for the new High-Speed Rail initiative.
• To support this policy, the federal government will set up a Small and Medium Business Procurement Program to help Canadian small- and medium- sized enterprises access federal procurement opportunities.

A New Trade Infrastructure Strategy

• Budget 2025 proposes to provide $5.0 billion over seven years, starting in 2025-26, to Transport Canada to create the Trade Diversification Corridors Fund. By investing in the infrastructure that moves our products to global markets, this fund will strengthen supply chains, unlock new export opportunities, and build a more resilient, diversified economy. The Fund will support projects of all scales, including digital infrastructure, to improve the ability of our imports and exports to travel efficiently across the country and to and from the rest of the world. 
• Budget 2025 proposes to provide $1 billion over four years, starting in 2025-26, to Transport Canada to create the Arctic Infrastructure Fund, which will invest in major transportation projects in the North with dual- use applications for civilian and military use, including airports, seaports, all-season roads, and highways.

Launching Build Canada Homes

• With an initial investment of $13 billion over five years on a cash basis, starting in 2025-26, Build Canada Homes will deploy capital to supercharge the housing industry.
• There are three key pillars to this new approach:
  • Build Canada Homes will partner with industry, other orders of government, and Indigenous communities to build affordable housing, including co-op housing, at scale and at speed.
  • Build Canada Homes will deploy capital, secure demand, and harness innovative housing technologies to build faster and more sustainably, 365 days a year.
  • Build Canada Homes will adopt the government’s new Buy Canadian policy and prioritise projects that use Canadian lumber and other Canadian materials.
• Budget 2025 commits to eliminating the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for first-time home buyers on new homes up to $1 million and reducing the GST for first-time home buyers on new homes between $1 million and $1.5 million. 

Rebuilding, Rearming, and Reinvesting in the Canadian Armed Forces

• Budget 2025 proposes to provide $81.8 billion over five years on a cash basis, starting in 2025-26, to rebuild, rearm, and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). This includes over $9 billion in 2025-26 that was announced by the Prime Minister in June 2025. Key investments include:
  • $20.4 billion over five years, to recruit and retain a strong fighting force, including generational pay raises for the CAF, and support CAF health care.
  • $19.0 billion over five years to repair and sustain CAF capabilities and invest in defence infrastructure, including expanding ammunition and training infrastructure.
  • $10.9 billion over five years for upgrades to Department of National Defence, CAF, and Communications Security Establishment digital infrastructure, including those needed for modern warfare, such as cyber defence.
  • $17.9 billion over five years to expand Canada’s military capabilities, including investments in additional logistics utility, light utility, and armoured vehicles, counter-drone and long-range precision strike capabilities, and domestic ammunition production, among other investments.
  • $6.6 billion over five years, starting in 2025-26, to strengthen Canada’s defence industry through a Defence Industrial Strategy.
  • $6.2 billion over five years to expand Canada’s defence partnerships, including expanded military assistance to Ukraine and increased military training and international policy programming.
  • $805 million over five years to the Canadian Coast Guard, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and Public Services and Procurement Canada for complementary initiatives to support Canada’s defence capabilities.

Protecting Our National Broadcaster: CBC/Radio-Canada

• Budget 2025 proposes to provide $150 million in 2025-26 for CBC/Radio- Canada to strengthen its mandate to serve the public and to better reflect the needs of Canadians. The government will explore modernising CBC/Radio-Canada’s mandate to strengthen independence, and is working with CBC/Radio Canada to explore participation in Eurovision.

Advancing the Youth Climate Corps

• Budget 2025 proposes to provide $40 million over two years, starting in 2026-27, to Employment and Social Development Canada, to create a Youth Climate Corps to provide paid skills training for young Canadians. They will be trained to quickly respond to climate emergencies, support recovery, and strengthen resilience in communities across the country

Comprehensive Expenditure Review

•  Budget 2025 is committed to reining in government spending. The Comprehensive Expenditure Review will achieve savings of $9 billion in 2026-27, $10 billion in 2027-28 and $13 billion in 2028-29. Combined with other savings and revenues in Budget 2025, this will total $60 billion over five years, starting in 2025-26.
• Planned savings fall under three themes generally: Modernising Government Operations, Streamlining Program Delivery, and Recalibrating Government Programs.
• By 2028-29, reductions from the Comprehensive Expenditure Review will represent 4.9 per cent of projected direct program expenses.

Federal Workforce Renewal

• The savings identified through CER will contribute to returning the size of the public service to a more sustainable level, with an estimated reduction of 16,000 full-time equivalents, or roughly 4.5 per cent of the workforce as of March 2025. Of these reductions, some 650 will be executive positions, representing about 7 per cent of the executive population. These reductions will continue the trend towards a more sustainable public service size of roughly 330,000 by 2028-29, a decline of about 40,000 or 10 per cent from the 2023-24 peak

 A More Efficient Tax System

To ensure that Canadian multinational insurers do not avoid tax on their Canadian insurance business by operating through a foreign subsidiary, Budget 2025 proposes to amend the Income Tax Act to clarify that income derived from assets held by a foreign affiliate of a Canadian insurance company that support Canadian insurance risks is taxable in Canada.

To improve tax fairness, Budget 2025 proposes to amend the Income Tax Act to limit the deferral of refundable tax on investment income through the use of tiered corporate structures with staggered year ends, for taxation years that begin on or after Budget Day.

Political Reactions

Conservative Party of Canada, Hon. Pierre Poilievre

Immediately following Budget 2025, Pierre Poilievre wrote on X.com:

“BREAKING: Mark Carney nearly doubled Trudeau’s deficit and kept Liberal taxes on groceries, work, energy, and homebuilding. Conservatives will continue fighting for affordable lives for Canadians.”

Bloc Québecois, Yves-François Blanchet

Immediately following the Budget, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet signaled his party is leaning towards voting against the budget, calling it a “red-Conservative”, Harper-like budget that contains nothing for Quebecers.

New Democratic Party of Canada, Don Davies

The NDP has not yet made a decision but will meet as a caucus tonight. NDP leader Don Davies has previously said that the NDP have not ruled out supporting or abstaining from voting.

In comments made after the budget, Davies remarked:

“It would appear on first review that there are measures in this budget that we welcome and indeed have advocated for,” he said in a statement, referring to additional infrastructure funding tied to union jobs, a commitment to co-op housing and references to an east-west electricity grid.”

What’s Next? 

After the Minister of Finance introduces the budget, the government will spend four Parliamentary days debating the budget and will then table the Budget Implementation Act No.1 with the intention for passage before the holiday break. This will be the first of two Implementation Acts the government will introduce to enact the contents of the budget. These Acts will become the top priority piece of legislation for the government.

As has been the case in previous budgets following their tabling, the government ranks will disperse across the country and make several “echo” announcements of funding both previously announced and included in the budget. 

What is less certain is how this Budget will fare in the House, with opposition parties hesitant to go back to the polls, but also hesitant to show support for the budgetary policy of the government.    

The Liberal Party currently holds a strong minority position with 169 seats in the House of Commons (3 seats short of a majority) and will require the support of another party to advance the budget. One of these 169 seats is held by the Liberal Speaker of the House, Francis Scarpaleggia, who by convention will only vote in the event of a tie. Consequently, at least four opposition MPs would need to vote in favour or abstain. Because the budget is a considered a confidence vote, Canadians could be facing another election if it does not pass.