Encore des élections fédérales, vraiment?

OTTAWA | The Carney government and opposition parties are engaged in a tug-of-war over the budget that could lead us to elections that no one is openly saying they want.

• Also read: Trade war: Mark Carney promises 'radical changes' to Canada's economic strategy

• Also read: Controversial remarks about RCMP: Poilievre guarantees his party will support him

It's a classic ballet of minority governments: everyone accusing each other of bad faith and petty politics for the sake of votes on which their survival depends.

The Liberals broke ground by saying the election was possible because the opposition was “unserious” and showed no interest in helping them pass a budget on November 4 next year in an uncertain economic context.

It's hard to imagine Conservatives voting yes.

The Bloc Québécois has drawn up a long list of costly demands: more money for low-income seniors, 800 million carbon tax refunds and more money for housing and health care.

And all this without the deficit exceeding $80 billion. A deficit that some economists estimate could be nearly $100 billion.

Voting for the decision

The decision rests with seven members of the New Democratic Party (NDP), who appear to be at odds over the next steps.

The Carney government is very close to the majority. All he needs is three friends on the other side of the House of Commons to help him survive the budget vote.

There is also the possibility that some opposition MPs will disappear during the vote, allowing them to retain half of their honor.

Recalling the election is an extremely risky proposition for the Liberals given the tightening polls.

Mark Carney took advantage of exceptional circumstances to win. Moreover, the deficit may raise eyebrows and we are still waiting for the promised agreement with the United States.

Man for work

Having failed to control Trump, the prime minister yesterday made it his mission to reassure Canadians that he remains capable of weathering the economic storm that is just beginning to gather in a speech unveiling major parts of his budget.

Prime time performance. “We are not going to transform our economy easily and in a few months, it will require certain sacrifices and time,” he said.

Another sign that the Liberals are going on the offensive as they try to pass their budget.

If you want peace, prepare for war because accidents happen very quickly.