Despite their opposition to a proposed GST cut, Liberal MPs abstained Wednesday from voting on the Conservative government's economic statement, ensuring its passage.
The vote was considered a confidence motion that would have triggered an election had it been defeated.
Instead, it passed 127 to 76 in the House of Commons. The Liberals remained in their seats while both the Bloc Québécois and NDP voted against it.
If all three opposition parties had voted against the motion, the government would have fallen.
On Tuesday, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty unveiled the economic statement that outlined $60 billion in cuts to personal and corporate taxes, as well as a one percentage point cut to the GST.
While Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion had earlier said he opposed plans for the additional GST cut, he said his party would not vote against the economic update because Canadians do not want another election.
Dion used the same reasoning when his party held back from voting on the government's recent speech from the throne.
He said his party would decide when it is appropriate to trigger an election.
"They are not ready for a campaign. They don't want to fight one over tax cuts, so they're going to have to grimace and bear it," CBC's Susan Bonner said.
House Leader Ralph Goodale had earlier suggested Prime Minister Stephen Harper was trying to goad the Liberals into forcing an election.
"What the prime minister is trying to do is litter the landscape with booby traps and landmines and we're just not going to be suckered into playing his game," Goodale said.
Liberal MP threatened with expulsion
Meanwhile, CBC News has learned that Ottawa-Vanier Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger wanted to stand up and vote against the economic statement.
But Bélanger was informed that he would be expelled from the Liberal caucus if he voted against the motion instead of abstaining, sources told CBC News.
Although Bélanger was in the House for question period, he was not present for the vote.
One of Bélanger's staff members would only say that the MP would not comment on anything that happened in caucus.
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