The Conservative government advanced the federal budget date and scrapped a second element of its economic update Sunday in a bid to stave off opposition efforts to take power with a Liberal-NDP coalition. Three days after delivering a financial statement that sparked coalition talks, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said he will hand down his budget on Jan. 27, about a month before one is normally tabled. Shortly after that announcement, Transport Minister John Baird said the minority government won't try to eliminate the right to strike for federal civil servants over the next couple of years, as pledged last week in Flaherty's fall update. On Saturday, Baird also announced the government has shelved its controversial plan to eliminate political party subsidies that are based on the number of votes received during elections.
As the Official Opposition, the Liberals have been threatening to bring down — with help from the NDP and the Bloc Québécois — the Conservative government over the lack of economic stimulus in Flaherty's update. Opposition parties say they have lost confidence in the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and the Liberals have drafted a no-confidence motion on the economic update that will be put to a vote Dec. 8.Liberal finance critic John McCallum said he doesn't trust the Conservatives to make proper plans in their budget to shore up the slowing economy.
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