A critical federal budget vote that nearly triggered a snap election unfolded without Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs, who was recovering from major surgery that prevented her participation in Monday's parliamentary proceedings.
Narrow Budget Survival
The minority Liberal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney narrowly avoided collapse when Monday's budget vote passed by the slimmest of margins. The final tally stood at 170 to 168, with two Conservative and two NDP MPs abstaining from the crucial vote that could have forced an early election.
In a minority government situation, the failure of a budget to pass in the House of Commons automatically triggers the government's fall and sends Canadians to the polls. The Carney government's survival hinged on those four abstentions combined with last-minute support from the Green Party.
Medical Absence Explained
Shannon Stubbs, the Conservative MP for Lakeland, revealed through a social media statement that she was on medical leave following major jaw and chin surgery performed at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. The procedure addressed a long-standing medical issue dating back to her premature birth.
"MP Stubbs was born severely premature at 6½ months gestation and weighed only 2 pounds," the statement explained. "Like most neo-natal NICU babies, her heart, lungs, and jaw were underdeveloped, and she underwent immediate heart surgery. The jaw issue was identified, but was never surgically corrected."
Voting Obstacles
The surgery created multiple barriers to Stubbs' participation in the budget vote. Her recovery required strict bedrest and complete vocal rest with her jaw wired shut. Additionally, the physical changes from the surgery prevented her from using remote voting applications that rely on facial recognition technology.
Compounding the situation, House of Commons rules prohibit mail-in ballots or proxy votes, leaving Stubbs with no alternative method to cast her vote. The statement clarified that the surgery had been originally scheduled for spring but was postponed due to the election and rescheduled long before the budget date was established.
Despite her absence, Stubbs' statement made her position clear: "Obviously, MP Stubbs strongly opposes Carney's credit card budget and every part of this government's top down neo-Marxist anti development agenda at every step." However, her vote would not have changed the final outcome given the margin of passage.
Other Notable Absences
The budget vote saw several other significant abstentions beyond Stubbs. Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux, who had recently announced his intention to leave politics amid speculation about joining former caucus-mate Chris d'Entremont in defecting to the Liberals, also abstained.
On the NDP side, despite interim Leader Don Davies declaring his party would not support the budget, two NDP MPs—Gord Johns and Lori Idlout—chose to abstain rather than vote against the government, contributing to the narrow passage that kept the Carney Liberals in power.
