Opposition leaders faced a critical challenge during Monday's budget vote: ensure the government remained intact while avoiding the appearance of weakness. With no party confident that a snap election would benefit them, they managed to pass the budget by a slim margin of 170-168. This narrow victory was executed with precision, but it left little room for error. The situation could have been even tighter, as the parties could have opted for a tie, which would have required the Speaker to cast a deciding vote in favor of the government, a scenario reminiscent of a dramatic moment from two decades ago.

In May 2005, the Speaker cast a tie-breaking vote on a confidence measure for the first time, marking a significant moment in Canadian parliamentary history. The 1960s and 1970s saw several minority parliaments, but by the early 2000s, the trend shifted to majority governments. Paul Martin inherited a majority in 2004 but soon called an election, returning as prime minister with a minority government. This set the stage for the 2005 budget, the first attempt by a minority government to pass a budget since Joe Clark's brief tenure in 1979.

The 2005 budget process was fraught with drama, involving themes of romance, betrayal, and political maneuvering. Martin's original budget received support from Stephen Harper, but an amendment that included $4 billion in additional spending became a confidence vote. With the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois opposed, the Liberals found themselves short of votes.

In a pivotal moment, Martin convinced Conservative MP Belinda Stronach to switch parties, a move that came at a high price: an immediate cabinet position. Stronach, who had previously vied for the Conservative leadership, was romantically linked to Peter MacKay, the last leader of the Progressive Conservatives. Their relationship added a layer of intrigue to the political landscape, as Stronach's decision to join Martin's government left MacKay feeling betrayed.

Despite Stronach's defection, the government still needed one more vote. With three independent MPs in play, the Liberals secured one vote while the opposition gained another, leaving the Liberals with 151 votes against the opposition's 152. The outcome hinged on Chuck Cadman, a former Canadian Alliance MP who had lost his Conservative nomination in 2004. Cadman's decision would ultimately determine the fate of the budget and the government.