NDP opposes budget, but doesn't force an unwanted election

NDP Leader Don Davies issued the following statement:

In the lead-up to the budget, New Democrats made it very clear that this budget needs to address head on the crises facing Canadian families, and invest in the programs Canadians rely on.

We have record unemployment, particularly among young people; we have a housing shortage and a cost-of-living crisis in communities across the country; and our cherished public healthcare system needs to be expanded, not cut.

Since the budget was presented almost two weeks ago, we have taken the time to listen to our constituents and to meet with stakeholders.

It is clear from those conversations that this is a budget that does not address the real needs facing our communities.

It fails to meet the moment, deliver transformational change, or address the urgent needs of Canadians.

While there are elements of the budget which reflect our concerns, on the whole it is a conservative budget.

From reducing healthcare funding for provinces, to making deeper cuts to services than Stephen Harper’s budgets, including to policies that are aimed at helping Canada’s most marginalized communities, to reversing action on the climate crisis, this budget fails to deliver the programs our country needs. It particularly fails indigenous peoples.

But through these discussions, it became equally clear that Canadians do not want an election right now.

The consequence of defeating this budget would not be to improve it or to help Canadians. It would be to plunge the country into an election only months after the last one, and while we still face an existential threat from the Trump administration.

On that basis, we engaged in conversations with the government about improvements that could strengthen the budget and earn our support.

At this time, the Liberals have not been willing to make those changes.

And so, we have decided to put the interests of our country first, to vote against the budget but to help prevent an election.

Canada is facing instability and overlapping crises. In these challenging times, we must put our country's well-being above partisan interests.

When the next election comes, Canadians will hold Mark Carney to account for his record and the choices he made in this budget.

But today, we're choosing stability over political games.