June 6 (Bloomberg) -- The Canadian government's C$227 billion ($204 billion) budget was passed in the House of Commons after opposition lawmakers accidentally failed to stand up to debate the spending plan.

``It passed with unanimous consent,'' Finance Minister Jim Flaherty told reporters outside the House of Commons in Ottawa today.

Legislators were supposed to hold a debate and final vote on the spending plan after Parliament's finance committee completed its review. By remaining seated in the House of Commons, opposition lawmakers allowed the bill to pass ``in a matter of minutes,'' said Libby Davies, the New Democratic Party member responsible for legislation.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's minority government needs support from at least one opposition party to pass legislation. Under Canadian parliamentary tradition, a defeated budget would be grounds for new elections.

The budget would probably have passed with the support of the separatist Bloc Quebecois. The Liberal Party, the country's largest opposition party, and the New Democrats opposed the plan.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe told reporters that either the Liberals and New Democrats are incompetent, or the two parties chose to abstain because they were afraid the Bloc would seek to force an election by voting against the plan.

``An error -- hold it!'' Duceppe said in French. ``I know that some Liberals and NDPs feared that we would vote against the vote, so it's part of that too.''

Off Guard

Opposition lawmakers were expecting Conservative member Diane Ablonczy to speak in the House. When she didn't show up, the speaker moved on to the budget, and opposition politicians were caught off guard.

``Let's not make a mountain out of a molehill -- we oppose the budget,'' said Liberal leader Bill Graham. ``It's an unfortunate error, but it doesn't change anything.''

A so-called ``take note'' debate, where lawmakers are asked to express their views on an issue, was held instead, though it won't change the outcome of the budget vote.

The 2006 budget lowers the goods and services sales tax to 6 percent from 7 percent starting July 1, and pays an annual grant to families of C$1,200 for every child under six. The budget, unveiled May 2, also offers tax breaks for companies and increases funding for the provinces.

The government is proposing C$29.3 billion in tax cuts and new spending over two years, narrowing its budget surplus to C$3.6 billion this fiscal year, from C$8 billion in the year ended March 31.

That should give a boost to consumer and business spending of more than C$5 billion, keeping the world's eighth-largest economy on course to grow at the fastest pace in four years, economists have predicted.

The budget now moves to the Senate for approval.

To contact the reporter on this story: Theophilos Argitis in Ottawa at targitis@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: June 6, 2006 17:13 EDT