Sunday November 16, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted at 2:14 am PT | Last update 8:55 am]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
NDP Leader Don Davies says that changes are still being made to the federal Liberal Budget 2025 this weekend, ahead of Monday’s budget confidence vote on Monday.
He did not articulate what the changes are or might be.
Davies chatted with Island Social Trends during the BC NDP convention in Victoria yesterday.
He says that attention is being paid to “what Canadians want” but “we still have our values”, said Davies as to how the seven NDP MPs might vote on the budget in the House of Commons on November 17.
Davies points out the ‘complex math’ of how the budget vote might land in the Liberal government’s favour. The Liberals have 170 MPs in the House — given that all show up and vote for the budget on Monday that still means two more votes are required for a majority of MPs to pass the budget.
To accomplish the needed minimum of 172 votes, Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberals will need two votes from somewhere. That could be some or all of the NDP voting in favour of the budget, or through a combination of three abstentions by Conservative, Bloc or NDP MPs.
Davies points out that the one Green MP’s (Elizabeth May’s) stance on voting for the budget is not yet known, and neither is the voting capacity of Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux who is still in caucus despite having resigned.
Davies has said over recent days and weeks that workers must be supported in the Liberal budget, as well as seeing social programs maintained such as child care, school food programs and Pharmacare.
Davies met with Carney about the budget before it was released, but the NDP Leader points out that it wasn’t a meeting to receive any actionable ideas from the NDP.
Yesterday NDP MP (and federal NDP leadership candidate) Heather McPherson told Island Social Trends that she considers Budget 2025 to be “problematic” which implies that her support for the budget is not assured.
NDP in the House of Commons:
“When we stand firm for people we get results,” said Davies in his speech to BC NDP delegates in Victoria yesterday.
Unlike the loss messaging in Election 2025, NDP Interim Leader Don Davies clearly stated how the NDP has made life better for Canadians both recently and over the decades.
In the last parliament the NDP secured child care for more families, pushed for the school food program, and ensured that Pharmacare would be covered for diabetes and contraception (with BC being the first province to sign on for that).
Over the years it’s been the NDP that has brought in universal health care, CPP, employment insurance, family allowance and child care, “These things would not be part of Canada without the NDP,” Davies told the crowd.
Election consequence:
The weight of the upcoming budget vote — particularly on the shoulders of seven NDP MPs who could tip the scales — includes the possibility of Canada being plunged into a second election within this calendar year, if the budget vote fails.
===== RELATED:
- BC NDP delegates deliver 82.3% support for Premier David Eby (November 16, 2025)
- BC NDP Convention 2025 in Victoria, Nov 14 to 16 (November 14, 2025)
- NDP votes are needed to pass Liberal Budget 2025 (November 5, 2025)
- Federal Budget 2025: investment for economic development & productivity (November 4, 2025)
- NDP concerned that Carney’s pre-budget speech hints at austerity (October 24, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: 45th PARLIAMENT of CANADA | CANADA-NATIONAL | FEDERAL NDP | BUDGET 2025