Canada's parliament passes government budget

OTTAWA, Feb. 3 (Chinese media) -- Canada's parliament on

Tuesday approved the Conservative government's budget bill, staving off a

possible government defeat.

The 308-seat House of Commons approved the budget,

released last month, with a vote of 211 to 91.

The New Democratic Party (NDP) and Bloc Quebecois

voted against the budget, while most of the Liberal Party supported the

Conservatives' financial plan.

The budget promises billions of dollars in tax cuts

and government spending, including infrastructure projects, worker training and

investment in struggling industries, to help the country ride out the global

economic downturn.

The budget forecasts a federal deficit of 34 billion

Canadian dollars (27 billion U.S. dollars) for the 2009-10 fiscal year. It also

says Canada has already registered a deficit for the 2008-09 fiscal year, the

first in a decade.

The bill included a Liberal amendment, which requires

regular reports to parliament on the budget's implementation and costs in March,

June and December. The amendment already was gotten through the House Monday.

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff had warned each

report would be an opportunity for the opposition to express confidence in the

government, saying he is putting the government "on probation."

The minority Conservative government needs the

support of the Liberal Party to ensure the approval of the budget bill. Budget

votes in Canada are confidence ones, meaning the government will be toppled if

they do not pass.