Coalition All But Dead As Liberals Agree To Support Budget, With Conditions
Posted January 28, 2009 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was the first big test for Michael Ignatieff and he came out swinging.
The newly minted Liberal leader has asked for an amendment to the Conservative budget tabled Tuesday. The addition will require the government to provide regular updates on the budget’s economic impact.
“We are putting this government on probation,” Ignatieff cautioned at a press conference.
Given that both the NDP and Bloc Quebecois have pledged to vote it down, the survival of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his party depends on the Grits’ approval.
It appears that they will give it, provided that the periodic updates detailing where the money is being spent begin in March.
“Accountability is something that Stephen Harper always says is important, and I agree with him. But this budget didn’t include a single word about accountability. We will require reports to Parliament on the budget’s implementation and its cost: one in March, one in June, one in December,” he added.
“Each of these reports will be an opportunity to withdraw our support, should this budget fail Canadians.”
The decision effectively ends an NDP-Liberal coalition proposed in December, much to the disappointment of Jack Layton.
“You can’t keep Stephen Harper in office and pretend to be the alternative. To the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who voted for Mr. Ignatieff’s party because they wanted to replace Stephen Harper, I simply say this: you cannot rely on Mr. Ignatieff to oppose Mr. Harper,” the NDP leader argued from Parliament Hill.
“If you oppose Mr. Harper and you wish to replace him, I urge you to join with the New Democrats.”
In an interview on Breakfast Television Wednesday, Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty wouldn’t say how much his party might be willing to budge in order to survive.
“Well, of course, we (would) have a look at whatever they might propose,” the minister said from a Tim Hortons in his riding of Whitby. “But, you know, the budget addresses the needs that Canadians have and the fundamentals will not change.”
“This budget is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination,” outlined Willowdale MP Martha Hall Findlay.
“We want help for the most vulnerable…There is some of that there, but there are some things that are significantly lacking in this budget,” the Liberal member described in Ottawa.
“From an economic perspective, we are very concerned about the fiscal prudence. It’s not perfect, but the Canadian people want action now. The economic crisis demands action now. To have money flowing, even though it’s not perfect, is the best alternative.”
If the other Opposition parties support the Liberal proposal and the Conservatives refuse to integrate them, it could prompt another showdown on Parliament Hill similar to the one seen in late November.
The possibility of a Liberal-led coalition in late 2008 led the Prime Minister to seek the prorogation of Parliament. That request was granted and MPs came back to work this week.
If the government falls, there’s also the possibility Canadians could be looking at yet another federal election. It’s unclear if the Liberals want that, however, given that their new leader hasn’t had much of a chance to get to know the electorate. Ignatieff himself said the country needs another election like a “hole in the head.”
