Posted on 12/01/2008 2:43:49 PM PST by fanfan
OTTAWA–NDP Leader Jack Layton and Liberal Leader Stephane Dion have signed an historic accord to form a coalition government to replace Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives.
In an extraordinary scene on Parliament Hill, Dion and Layton signed a formal deal to work together through to June, 2011.
And they signed an agreement with Bloc Quebecois Gilles Duceppe that commits the separatist party to support the coalition through to June, 2010.
The opposition parties are threatening to defeat the Conservatives next week.
However their plan to assume government would require the blessing of the Governor General.
Under the deal, the Liberal caucus would be responsible for choosing the finance minister, a key role as the country faces economic storms.
The NDP would get six positions in the 24-member cabinet as well as six parliamentary secretary positions.
Layton said the coalition would move with a stimulus package that is "prompt and prudent."
That plan includes infrastructure spending, home construction, renovations and financial support for "struggling sectors" that can demonstrate a viable business plan.
He urged Harper to accept his looming defeat "gracefully" and not make moves that create "further instability and delay."
Duceppe said his party would not introduce any non-confidence motions or vote against any budgets or speeches from the throne until the agreement expires but would be free to vote as it wishes on any other legislation.
Dion will serve as leader until a Liberal leadership convention in May.
The NDP and Liberals have settled on an agreement to form a coalition government, with the support of the Bloc Quebecois.
They could defeat the Conservatives as early as next Monday.
Liberals Michael Ignatieff, Bob Rae and Dominic LeBlanc, all candidates for the party leadership, appeared together to show support for the decision.
Rae said "there’s no turning back" from plans to toss Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives from power.
Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay said the deal was done and no announcement by Harper - short of proroguing parliament, which she does not believe he will do - is going to stop the opposition parties from defeating the government next Monday.
Ignatieff told reporters that the ongoing race would not preclude any of the contenders from serving in a coalition cabinet.
Ignatieff and Leblanc said it was the prerogative of the prime minister to choose.
"The decisions on who is in cabinet are made by the prime minister of Canada, they’re not made by me, they’re not made by Dom and they’re not made by Bob," said Ignatieff.
"And that’s very clear in the accord that’s to say the authority and the prerogatives of the prime minister have not been compromised. It’s up to Mr.Dion to make the choices that he feels are right for the country."
Leblanc responded: "Michael is always right!"
Harper got a standing ovation from Conservatives as he took his place in the Commons with two notable exceptions - Justice Minister Rob Nicholson and Trade Minister Stockwell Day.
Dion got a standing ovation from Liberal and NDP MPs as he kicked off question period with a question to the prime minister about stimulus for the country’s economy.
Lisa Raitt, a rookie Conservative minister, was among some Conservatives who put on a brave face, saying she was honoured to have served the people of her Halton riding even if it turns out to have been a short time.
The prime minister dismissed Dion’s shot in the Commons about playing partisan games in his economic statement.
Harper shot back that the Liberal leader was "about to play one of the biggest political games" in the country’s history.
Harper appealed to the opposition to wait until seeing the budget, scheduled for Jan. 27.
"I understand he wants to be Prime Minister. . . . I wouldn’t want to be governing the economy in his position," Harper said, referring to the coalition of "socialist economic" and "separatists."
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty accused the Liberals of making a "deal with the devil" and said the NDP "don’t know the first thing" about running the economy.
Sources said the deal calls for the coalition government to deliver a federal budget immediately after taking office. The budget would include a major package of stimulus measures to shore up the troubled economy.
The NDP said this morning that the deal has not been signed but the two sides are "very close."
The game of high-stakes political intrigue has set the stage for a week in which Harper's Conservatives will fight to retain power.
It appears nothing short of a fresh economic statement with measures to help Canadians cope with the recession is likely to dissuade the opposition from defeating the Conservative minority and trying to form a coalition government.
Flaherty kicked off the day yesterday with a full-scale retreat from his Nov. 27 economic statement, with a promise of economic stimulus measures in an early budget on Jan. 27.
For the first time, he hinted strongly that Ottawa would bail out Canada's struggling Big Three automakers.
But the Liberals and New Democrats said the latest concessions from the Conservatives are not enough to derail the move to defeat the Tory minority and take power with a coalition cabinet. A confidence vote that could topple the government is expected on Dec. 8.
Another bitter episode was spawned when the NDP said it might pursue legal action after the Conservatives taped a private New Democrat caucus meeting Saturday and distributed the transcripts and recordings to the media yesterday.
In the meeting, NDP Leader Jack Layton tells his caucus that "moves" with respect to the Bloc Québécois "a long time ago" helped lay the groundwork for the coalition now being discussed – a statement the Conservatives say suggests the fiscal update is merely an excuse for the revolt.
Yesterday, in another reversal from the economic package, Flaherty told a telephone news conference the government would remove from legislation implementing the package a bid to temporarily ban public service strikes. On Saturday, he backed down on the plan to scrap federal subsidies for political parties.
Flaherty stressed that the government has tried to stave off an economic slowdown by using lower taxes – he brought in a six-year, $60 billion tax reduction program in 2007 – to improve business conditions. But he said there will be further stimulus to the economy, and suggested it might include help for the auto sector.
"We're going to have to deal with the automotive issue, obviously," he added. "Will we have to help a particular sector or more than one particular sector? The answer is probably yes."
The federal and Ontario governments have asked Ford, General Motors and Chrysler – thought to be collectively seeking $3 billion to $4 billion in aid – to produce recovery plans by Friday.
Flaherty's statements indicate the Tories are trying to limit damage in the wake of an economic package that has raised questions about the government's credibility and political smarts.
"The stability of the government and the economy is paramount," he said. Rather than propose to scrap the federal subsidy for political parties, the Conservatives will move to freeze the payments at the current $1.95 per vote and put the issue before the public for future debate.
Flaherty sounded unusually subdued. While his future was not discussed, questions about his role as finance minister can be expected now that the economic strategy has blown up in the government's face.
Since last week, the Liberals, NDP and Bloc have been involved in closed-door talks aimed at preparing a coalition government.
There are questions whether the Liberals could act cohesively to join in an attempt to oust Harper. The main issue surrounds which Liberal would head the coalition and potentially become prime minister. It is known that Stéphane Dion, the caretaker leader, would expect to do so, despite doubts among some Liberals who blame him for the party's Oct. 14 election defeat.
In a meeting in Toronto last night, Liberal leadership contender Bob Rae tried to convince fellow contenders Michael Ignatieff and Dominic LeBlanc to show a unified front by accepting the deal with Dion as coalition leader, according to a Rae supporter. Rae argued there is no reason to change "the legitimate leadership process" that will replace Dion in May.
For the opposition, the "central issue" continues to be the Tories' lack of a package of significant new measures to address the economy, which Flaherty admits has fallen into a recession, said Liberal finance critic John McCallum.
"I still don't think anything has really changed," McCallum (Markam-Unionville) said after Flaherty's news conference.
He said there's also a growing question of credibility with the Harper government. "Here we are when they're desperate to save the government and they'll promise us the moon. But when we're promised the moon, I don't think we necessarily believe it."
Deputy NDP leader Thomas Mulcair said the provocative economic update was a "terrible miscalculation by the Conservatives."
"We're not going to give them another chance," he said. "We're structured, we're organized, we've worked very hard for the past four days and you're going to see the fruits of that labour very shortly."
Mulcair also said the covert taping of the NDP call "shows the desperation of the Conservatives."
Pierre Poilievre, Harper's parliamentary secretary, told CTV the transcript shows there were "members of the NDP who were working with the separatists who want to destroy Canada in order to take control of the country in a perilous coalition.
"All of this was hatched long ago, well before any of the controversy over the fall economic statement. That is shocking news," he said.
The recording was made by a Conservative who was able to dial into Layton's teleconference call with New Democrat MPs.
Mulcair denied his party was engaged in discussions with the Bloc before the Nov. 27 economic statement. The situation is no different from "consultations" Harper had with the NDP and the Bloc as opposition leader against the minority Liberals in 2004, Mulcair said.
He also said the NDP is looking at its legal options, saying party discussions were "illegally intercepted."
The Tories downplayed the 2004 consultations, saying there was never any intention of a coalition.
There were several signals over the weekend that the affair has damaged Harper's leadership. Several senior Conservative government members admitted they had been hearing from supporters outraged over Harper's moves.
With files from Linda Diebel
The ‘West’- northwestern Ontario, Manitoba, Sask, Alberta, and BC are solid conservative majorities in federal elections - period ....your spin will not change that.
You worked out west....LOL ....that makes you an eastern not a Western Canadian......lol.......
The economy of Ontario and Quebec is about to go into the tank and the socialists including red tories want to bail it out with The West’s tax money. 27% of the population (Western Canada) supplies 80% of Canada’s resources while the power structure of the east has kept 80% of the manufacturing in Ontario and Quebec. Well that is about to end and the stranglehold of federal power; Ontario and Quebec enjoy with it. With the exceptions of northern Manitoba (native reserves) and Vancouver (la la land) the West in conservative. We have had enough of the east’s socialism and red toryism polluting conservatism federally.
Poppycock again....this is about the left (eastern Canada) wanting to rape the West again, money and power not ideology. The CPC government as a minority could not move the country any further right than the opposition in Parliament would have let them.
Note the CPC has more MP's than the Liberals and NDP combined.
LOl ...that merging of the Reform (conservatives -Western Canada) and the PC's (progressive conservatives LOL = Liberals) was 66 seats Reform and 12 seats PC's.
I believe her term is up in January and he can appoint someone else. One that respects Canadian voters would be nice!
I read that, legally, this troika could not be forced to call a new election for five years. Doubt they can hold together five months, but regardless, it looks very bad for Canada.
It does. Should this crazed gambit materialize, quite apart from the stupid left-wing schemes which will be implemented by this Coalition of the Swilling, I fear that a fresh and belligerent strain of Western Separatism will blossom, and perhaps irrevocably divide our Dominion.
Personally, I would prefer a return to our pre-Trudeau Constitutional arrangements. Canada was, in many ways, the freest of all the Anglo nations in the 1960s. WE had avoided the socialism of Britain and Australia and the State fetishism of New Deal America.
Alas, we threw it all away in the 1970s, never to be restored, evidently.
But they'll NEVER agree to that, particularly because incorporating the Bloc Quebecious secessionist agenda into the Liberal Party and New Democrat Party platforms would be fatal to them and cause them to lose all kinds of power outside of Quebec. Voters will have qualms about re-electing any Liberal or NPD members of Parliment pledged to bring Quebec secession to a floor vote.
And since the current 69 Bloc Quebecious members won their election over the other parties by specifically running AGAINST a national canadian government, then putting them in charge of the ruiling national government is a slap in the face to the voters and the exact opposite of the intent of those voters. Fortunately for us, I think they did a poll in Quebec and the vast majority of Quebec votes want the Bloc to have power over the new government, including cabinent positions and veto power over Canada's hertiage (basically, they want to turn Canada into a French nation), so the BQ is shut out of decisions in the "coalition", they'll either hold the government hostage until it caves to French Canadian Superiority in Canada, or the BQ will suffer massive defeat at the polls for "betraying" their principles.
Either way, if they do manage to unite to overthrow Harper, this new mutant "government" will probably fall apart within a week.
Bottom line is the French leftists do not want to accept that the election resulted in 143 seats for a Right-Wing NATIONAL government, and 114 seats for a Left-Wing NATIONAL government.
An American election that didn't involve ACORN would be a good start.
Now, now. While I don't profess Einstein-level knowledge of Canadian politics, I dare say I probably know more than the average American does about politics south of the border, and probably more than the average Canadian does about their own gov't. Que sera sera. Now, all I merely pointed out to you was the inherent hypocrisy of a party with that absurd title. Rather like the "Jewish Nazi party" or the "Caucasian Black Panther Party." How long it lasted doesn't change the fact it was a contradiction in terms. You seem to lament the farce didn't last longer.
"Brian Mulroney aka Lyin’ Bryan aka The Chin©"
Mulroney, a die-hard Conservative idealogue ? Now, now, are you talking party or ideology ? Mulroney seemed, at best, by our standards to be a RINO. Certainly no "die-hard" right-winger. Besides, last I checked, it was Kim Campbell that saw the party wiped out to the point they could caucus in a phone booth.
"Yeah, the control freak. The man so focussed on dissing his political rivals that the economy can burn and the peasants eat cake. Yeah, that’s the guy. The one that 60+ percent of the electorate DIDN’T vote for."
Good heavens. You're starting to sound as rabid as Layton. Why are you even on a Conservative website ? You don't seem to share our common values here. Attacking Harper, from the left seems to cement your reputation.
"Ah! I see! I’m glad your life on a desert island is going so glowingly. As I said, that’s exceptional in the experience of most, conservative or liberal."
So, FR is a "Desert Island" in your estimation ?
"You have an interestingly narrow outlook. I was referring to the day-to-day reality the vast majority face where absolutes as you see them aren’t possible. Like when it’s a toss-up between paying the mortgage or eating after you’ve been laid off. But then again, that would be the fault of the person deciding in your book because he shouldn’t have been stupid enough to be in the position of being laid off, right?"
Don't look at me, I'm just one of those unenlightened Conservatives. One of those dummies that thinks having a million dollar home/mortgage when you're working at Starbuck's is ill-advised.
"My apologies if I’ve mischaracterised your position. In this day and age, finding someone who seems quite so thoughtless and heartless is unusual and my reaction was visceral."
Well, can't all have such big liberal hearts like yours. :-)
Thank you. Most kind.
Personally, I’d like to see the end of the BQ as a representative party in the Commons. They cannot swear fealty to her Majesty. The BQ exists only as Canadians continue to indulge the separatist agenda in Canada. Whatever co-existence was machinated by Harper in the past with them has now bit him in the ass. They use the political process not to benefit the country but to break-up the nation.
Ah, it's no wonder our friend, Volunteer, is so miffed. He's part of the angry fractional rump. "New" (sic) respect, as they say up in Ontario. ;-)
Hey, Billy, just as an aside, have you ever visited Quebec ?
Oh, you should go visit. I’ve been in 3 provinces, New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec. Ontario (at least Lower ONT, I’ve never been up west of the more populous areas) is a lot like a combo of Michigan, Ohio & Western NY. Flat, flat, flat. New Brunswick is interesting, somewhat similar to Maine (well, since it borders it). Quebec, however, is something else entirely. It’s literally like France transported to the American continent. I spent several days in Quebec City in the premier hotel property in the province, the Chateau Frontenac. Like staying in a European castle.
Folks are friendly, though French is their main language (and unlike outside of PQ where much is labelled in two languages, virtually everything in PQ is in French — especially road signage, and you’d better be versed in the language tout de suite, as I had about 30 seconds to get acclimated as soon as we crossed over, especially since I was doing the navigating). You realize, however, that in maintaining “Distinct Society” the inherent problems in how truly SEPARATE PQ feels from its surrounding neighbors.
As I said, it’s an interesting place, but the costs of making it what it is today has been an overall negative for Canada. I just imagine had the U.S. had similar “Distinct Societies” for our states (say, French for Louisiana & Maine; Dutch for NYC; Swedish for Delaware; German for PA; Spanish for NM, CA & FL; Russian for Alaska) we would’ve come unglued in short order. I wonder had the Canadian federal government early on insisted upon total assimilation for PQ, how much better off and united the entire Dominion would’ve been in the long run. Despite what the left maintains, diversity is NOT our strength when it comes to plural cultures and languages under one flag, it is our undoing.
Moonbat Left trying to steal the Government from the Conservatives in Canada
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It’s perfectly normal for coalitions to form in a parliamentary system. This happens regularly in Israel and Great Britain.
Not in Canada under these particular circumstances, and not weeks after the people spoke as to which party they preferred to run the government. The Libs were firmly rebuked, and the public overwhelmingly opposes this hijacking.
The new coalition would have no standing until 2010.
“Trudeau was a Nazi-cum-Stalinist”
Uh huh. Since you’ve previously proudly professed to know precious little about the Progressive Conservative party, how is it that your pronouncements about Trudeau should be received as anything more?
“the Gov-Gen equivalent can halt (at Her Majesty’s discretion)”
Hate to break it to you but Her Majesty has nothing to do with the equation. Seems to be something that Yanks just can’t seem to grasp for whatever reason.
“The sole reason that participated the unbridled panic from the left was Harper’s plan to defund the moonbats.”
Perhaps if you understood the circumstance that had the public coffer supporting the political parties. You see, the whole concept was to remove the influence of Corporate and Union monies as influence in the direction of political parties. This came to pass under the Liberal leadership 5 years ago. Now the grass-root funded Conservatives want to strangle their opposition who played by the rules. Ooh, the nasty Opposition that thinks playing by the rules is a good thing.
Oh, and by the way? The Conservatives want to sit on their hands and let the economy go in the dumper. That’s really a proactive response to the economic times we’re in.
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