EDITORIAL: It’s a budget movie we’ve seen before

A time-honoured ploy by any prime minister facing a budget vote in a minority Parliament is to raise the spectre of the vote failing, thereby triggering an election.

Liberal House Leader Steve MacKinnon has fired the first round in what will likely be a volley of shots aimed at shutting down legitimate opposition to the budget from the Opposition benches.

“When I see opposition parties ruling out the possibility of voting for the budget, that’s starting to worry me,” MacKinnon told reporters on Parliament Hill.

On Monday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre fired off his demands to Prime Minister Mark Carney, saying he wants an “affordable” budget that includes tax cuts and a deficit below $41 billion.

That’s a reasonable dem

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