Toronto, Nov. 18 -- Prime Minister Mark Carney's minority Liberal government has narrowly survived a tense budget vote in the Canadian House of Commons, averting the prospect of a snap federal election during the holiday season.

On Monday, legislators voted 170-168 in favour of the proposed CAN$141 billion budget, a razor-thin margin that kept the Carney administration in power.

With only two seats shy of a majority, the Liberals required last-minute alliances and abstentions from opposition members to pass the vote.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May decided to back the budget after securing promises of environmental measures from Carney during a Monday meeting.

Meanwhile, two New Democratic Party MPs and two Conservatives abstained, a...