Ontario NDP will support minority Liberals in vote on budget motion

TORONTO – Ontario’s minority Liberal government is expected to easily survive a confidence vote on the provincial budget today.

The vote is on a budget motion, not the actual budget bill, and states only that “the house approves in general the budgetary policy of the government.”

After securing several concessions from the government, the New Democrats promised to vote with the Liberals to make sure the budget will pass, and that includes today’s motion.

There is another motion that lays out a schedule for the vote on the budget legislation itself, which the government wants concluded before the summer recess scheduled to begin June 7.

The Progressive Conservatives accuse the Liberals of buying the NDP’s support on the budget by promising to cut auto insurance premiums, increase welfare rates and spend more on home care services.

The Tories vowed to vote against the budget even before it was released, and say they want to trigger an election as soon as possible.