In a parliamentary democracy based on the
Westminster system, confidence and supply
are required for a minority government to
retain power in the lower house.
A confidence-and-supply agreement is one whereby
a party or independent members of parliament
will support the government in motions of
confidence and appropriation or budget (supply)
votes, by either voting in favour or abstaining.
However, parties and independent members normally
retain the right to otherwise vote in favour
of their own policies or on conscience on
legislative bills.A coalition government is
a more formal arrangement than a confidence-and-supply
agreement, in that members from junior parties
(i.e. parties other than the largest) gain
positions in the cabinet, ministerial roles
and may be expected to hold the government
whip on passing legislation.
== Confidence ==
In most parliamentary democracies, members
of a parliament can propose a motion of confidence
or of no confidence in the government or executive.
The results of such motions show how much
support the government currently has in parliament.
Should a motion of confidence fail, or a motion
of no confidence pass, the government will
usually either resign and allow other politicians
to form a new government, or call an election.
== Supply ==
Most parliamentary democracies require an
annual state budget, an appropriation bill,
or occasional financial measures to be passed
by parliament in order for a government to
pay its way and enact its policies.
The failure of a supply bill is in effect
the same as the failure of a confidence motion.
In early modern England, the withholding of
funds was one of Parliament's few ways of
controlling the monarch.
== Examples of confidence-and-supply deals
==
=== Australia ===
The Australian Labor Party Gillard Government
formed a minority government in the hung parliament
elected at the 2010 federal election resulting
from a confidence-and-supply agreement with
three independent MPs and one Green MP.
=== Canada ===
==== 
British Columbia ====
After the 2017 British Columbia provincial
election, the Green Party of British Columbia
agreed to a confidence-and-supply agreement
in support of the British Columbia New Democratic
Party.
The incumbent British Columbia Liberal Party
briefly tried to form a government, but was
immediately defeated in a confidence vote
by the NDP and Greens.
==== New Brunswick ====
On 2 November 2018 (less than two months after
the 2018 New Brunswick general election) the
legislative assembly voted 25-23 for a motion,
introduced by the Progressive Conservatives,
to amend the throne speech to declare no confidence
in the government.
Subsequently, Premier Brian Gallant indicated
his intention to resign the premiership and
recommend to the lieutenant governor that
PC leader Blaine Higgs be given the mandate
to form a minority government: "I will go
see the lieutenant governor at her earliest
convenience to inform her that I will be resigning
as premier, and I will humbly suggest to her
honour to allow the leader of the Conservative
Party to attempt to form a government and
attempt to gain the confidence of the house."
People's Alliance leader Kris Austin said
he would work with the new government "in
the areas we agree on," and reiterated his
promise to support the Progressive Conservatives
on confidence votes for a period of 18 months.
Green Party leader David Coon said he would
start working with the Tories in an attempt
to ensure his party's issues were on the government's
agenda.
==== Ontario ====
Twenty-two days after the 1985 Ontario provincial
election, the Progressive Conservative Party
of Ontario government resigned after a vote
of no confidence, and the Ontario Liberal
Party formed a government with the support
of the Ontario New Democratic Party.
The agreement between the two parties was
referred to as "The Accord".
=== India ===
Third Front national governments were formed
in 1989 and 1996 with outside support of one
of the two major parties, BJP or Congress.
The CPI-M gave outside support to the Congress
Party from 2004-2008, but later withdrew support
after the India–United States Civil Nuclear
Agreement.
=== Ireland ===
After the 2016 general election, a minority
government was formed by Fine Gael and some
independents, with confidence-and-supply (Irish:
muinín agus soláthar) support from Fianna
Fáil in return for a published set of policy
commitments from the government.
Fianna Fáil abstains on confidence and supply
votes, but reserves the right to vote for
or against any bill proposed in the Dáil
or Seanad.
The deal was to last until the end of 2018,
with the possibility of renewal before then
to extend it to the five-year maximum term
of a Dáil.
=== New Zealand ===
In New Zealand, confidence and supply arrangements
are common due to the MMP system used in the
country.
The parties providing confidence and supply
have a more prominent role than in other countries,
with MPs from the support parties often being
appointed to ministerial portfolios outside
of Cabinet.
New Zealand codified the procedures it used
to form these Governments in its Cabinet Manual.John
Key's National Party administration formed
a minority government in 2008 thanks to a
confidence-and-supply agreement with the ACT,
United Future and the Māori Party.
A similar arrangement in 2005 had led to Helen
Clark's Labour Party forming a coalition government
with the Progressive Party, with support on
confidence and supply from New Zealand First
and United Future.
After the 2014 election, National re-entered
confidence-and-supply agreements with United
Future, the ACT Party, and the Māori Party.
In 2017, despite National winning more votes
than Labour in the election, New Zealand First
chose to enter coalition with Labour to help
them change the government, with support on
confidence and supply from the left-wing Green
Party.
=== United Kingdom ===
Between 1977 and 1978, Jim Callaghan's Labour
Party stayed in power thanks to a confidence-and-supply
agreement with the Liberal Party, in a deal
which became known as the Lib-Lab Pact.
In return, the Labour Party agreed to modest
policy concessions for the Liberal Party.In
the aftermath of the 2017 general election
which left Theresa May's Conservative Party
without a majority, a confidence-and-supply
agreement was agreed with the Democratic Unionist
Party.
==== Devolved government ====
Confidence and supply deals are more frequent
in the devolved legislatures of Scotland and
Wales due to the use of proportional representation.
Scottish Parliament: The Scottish National
Party and Scottish Green Party have a confidence
and supply deal.Welsh Assembly:
The Welsh Labour Party and Plaid Cymru had
a similar co-operation deal until October
2017
