Editing Joe Clark (section)

===Fall of government===
During the 1979 election campaign, Clark had promised to cut taxes to stimulate the economy. However, once in office, the [[1979 Canadian federal budget|1979 budget]] he proposed was designed to curb inflation by slowing economic activity. The budget also proposed a 4-cent per litre (18-cent per [[gallon]]) tax on gasoline in order to reduce the budgetary deficit.<ref>MacEachen, Allan J. (December 11, 2009). [https://www.thestar.com/opinion/2009/12/11/behind_the_fall_of_joe_clark.html "Behind the fall of Joe Clark"]. ''Toronto Star''.<!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20130601045655/http://www.thestar.com/opinion/2009/12/11/behind_the_fall_of_joe_clark.html --></ref> Finance Minister [[John Crosbie]] touted the budget as "short term pain for long term gain".<ref>{{cite news |last=MacCharles |first=Tonda |date=2020-01-10 |title=John Crosbie was a politician unafraid of matching action to words
 |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2020/01/10/john-crosbie-was-a-politician-unafraid-of-matching-action-to-words.html |work=Toronto Star |location=Toronto |access-date=2022-03-04}}
</ref> Though Clark had hoped this change in policy would work to his advantage, it actually earned him widespread animosity as a politician who could not keep his promises, even in such a short period.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

Clark's refusal to work with the Socreds, combined with the gasoline tax, came back to haunt him when the budget came before the House of Commons in December 1979.  On December 12, NDP Finance Critic [[Bob Rae]] proposed a subamendment to the budget motion, stating that the House of Commons did not approve of the budget.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://parl.canadiana.ca/view/oop.proc_HOC_3101_1/901 |title=House of Commons Journals, 31st Parliament, 1st Session |author=<!--Government Journal; no by-line.--> |date=December 12, 1979 |website=Canadian Parliamentary Historical Resources |publisher=Queen's Printer for Canada |access-date=9 July 2016 |quote=Debate was resumed on the motion of Mr. Crosbie (St John's West), seconded by Mr. MacDonald (Egmont),-That this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the Government.  And on the motion of Mr. Gray, seconded by Mr. Lalonde, in amendment thereto,-That all the words after the word 'That' be deleted and the following substituted therefor: 'this House condemns the Government for its budget which will place and unfair and unnecessary burden of higher gasoline prices, higher fuel oil prices, and higher taxes on middle and lower income Canadians.' And on the motion of Mr. Rae, seconded by Mr. Knowles, in amendment to the amendment, That the amendment be amended by changing the period at the end thereof to a comma, and by adding immediately after the words: 'and this House unreservedly condemns the Government for its outright betrayal of election promises to lower interest rates, to cut taxes, and to stimulate the growth of the Canadian economy, without a mandate from the Canadian people for such a reversal.'}}</ref> The Liberals supported the NDP subamendment. The five Socred MPs had demanded the gas tax revenues be allocated to Quebec and abstained when Clark turned them down. On December 13, the subamendment passed on a 139–133 vote.<ref name="archives.cbc.ca"/>

Clark was criticized for his "inability to do math" in failing to predict the outcome, not only because he was in a minority situation, but also because three members of his caucus would be absent for the crucial budget vote. One was ill and two were stuck abroad on official business. The Liberals by contrast had assembled their entire caucus, save one, for the occasion.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/election-probably-in-february-tories-fall-139-to-133-status-of-budget-is-still-unclear/article1147235/ |title=Tories Fall, 139 to 133 |author1=Simpson, Jeffrey  |author2=Sheppard, Robert |work=The Globe and Mail |date=December 14, 1979 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051205033911/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.19791214.w1979budget1214a/BNStory/specialBudget2005/  |archive-date=December 5, 2005 |url-status=live}}</ref>