Mark Carney’s Liberals survived the budget vote this week and avoided an election, but don’t be surprised if we see an election as early as this spring. If it happens, it won’t be because the opposition parties voted the Liberals down, it will be because they think they can win a majority.

On Monday, the budget passed by a margin of 170 MPs in favour and 168 against. That only happened because four MPs – two Conservative and two NDP – abstained.

For the NDP, it was Gord Johns and Lori Idlout. Johns was in the House and sat in his seat, refusing to stand and vote yea or nay for the budget, while Idlout was in Ottawa but voted remotely to abstain –meaning she was recorded as being present but not voting.

On the Conservative side, Edmonton MP Matt Jeneroux — the man who was subject to fl

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