Posted on 10/07/2004 9:12:17 AM PDT by youngtory
Tories dismiss 'flake' Layton's talk of a plot 'The accusations are ridiculous. There's nothing to add': Bloc
Anne Dawson and Bill Curry CanWest News Service
Thursday, October 07, 2004
OTTAWA - Jack Layton yesterday alleged the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois were scheming to vote down the Throne Speech and install Stephen Harper as prime minister, but members of the opposition parties immediately dismissed the NDP leader's accusations as "ridiculous" and "embarrassing."
Mr. Layton was angered to learn Mr. Harper had presented amendments to the Throne Speech that the NDP leader had proposed himself when he was negotiating with Mr. Harper and Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe last week.
Mr. Layton said Mr. Duceppe indicated in a private discussion that the Bloc and Conservatives had plans to remove Paul Martin from office.
"Mr. Duceppe told me that if the amendments are adopted and there's a show of non-confidence in the government we can have another party leader as prime minister. So that's the reason why I say this is a big political game that we see here," Mr. Layton said.
"It's not the words in the amendments. Those amendments are almost all NDP policies. It's entirely up to Mr. Martin now to say whether this vote will be a confidence vote or not. Because if it's a confidence vote, we will not play that game. We don't want an election, or even worse, that Mr. Harper becomes the prime minister of Canada with the support of Mr. Duceppe and that will be the consequence. They already have a one vote majority in the House of Commons."
Mr. Layton's claims provoked quick denunciations from other party camps.
"The accusations are ridiculous. There's nothing to add. We won't even give a formal response because it is too ridiculous. It's simply not worth it," said Bloc spokeswoman Karine Sauve.
Conservative House leader John Reynolds lashed out at the NDP leader for rejecting policies Mr. Layton had himself advocated in the closed-door discussions.
"Layton is obviously a real flake, to put it bluntly. This whole motion and idea is to show, between the Bloc and ourselves, we want to co-operate with the government to make this Parliament work," Mr. Reynolds said.
"How embarrassing it must be for professionals like [NDP MPs Ed] Broadbent and [Bill] Blaikie to have to work with somebody like this. He's going to vote against his own ideas."
Mr. Reynolds points out that the preamble simply requires the government to "consider" implementing the policies rather than requiring action.
The amendments were phrased in such a way that many of the words were taken directly from the Liberal government's Throne Speech read on Tuesday.
Mr. Duceppe said the amendments deal with policies such as the proper use of employment insurance premiums, tax reductions for low- and modest-income families and electoral reform.
Government House leader Tony Valeri said he would need time to decide if the Liberals can support the amendments. He has previously stated the government would be prepared to accept opposition amendments providing they generally reinforce its agenda, but it would not accept anything that contradicts it. He said last night any vote on the Throne Speech would be considered a vote of confidence, which means the government could be defeated.
"I just received the amendments ... and so I am obviously going to reflect on them. Any votes on the Speech from the Throne are votes of confidence," Mr. Valeri said. "I need to look at what the intent is of the amendments and secondly, what in fact the impact would be on the intent of the government itself."
The Liberal Cabinet is expected to discuss the matter this morning and make a decision as to whether it will adopt them in time for tonight's vote. © National Post 2004
The Liberals will accept them... since they are taken from their own Throne Speech. After all they are in the minority in the House Of Commons. How times have changed in Canada.
Jacko' Layton has the least number of seats in the house. He wants to act as though he holds the balance of power when he doesn't.
The NDP is jealous that the Conservatives are the real alternative to the Liberals and not them. Election after election, they love to attack the opposition party and not the thugs in power. It wasn't any different in the recent election.
Jack Layton is jealous that its actually the Bloc that holds the balance of power. With the support of the Bloc, the Liberals can pass legislation. It must be humiliating to Paul Martin to be dependent on Quebec separatists for a working majority.
Excellent point.
Don't worry about the NDP their irrelevant. They don't have the balance of power and they will never form the government.
Well yeah ... but that's what they said in Ontario too and look what happened in the early 1990s. Hopfully that lesson taught the vast majority of Ontarians not to vote NDP and will ensure the NDP never makes it at the federal level.
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