TORONTO, March 22 (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar eased to a session low against the U.S. currency late on Tuesday afternoon after the opposition New Democratic Party said it would not support the minority government's budget as presented.
The New Democrats joined the Liberals and Bloc Quebecois in rejecting the budget, likely forcing the minority Conservative government into an election unless the Conservatives change their budget.
The currency CAD=D4 slipped to C$0.9815 to the U.S. dollar, or $1.0188, down slightly from its Monday close of C$0.9797, or $1.0207.
The budget had offered a host of treats to opposition parties in the hope of avoiding an election, keeping the currency relatively steady from Monday's close. But it fell after the NDP joined the other two opposition parties in saying they would not support the budget. [ID:nCFB004022] [ID:nTOR007968] (Reporting by Ka Yan Ng; editing by Peter Galloway)