NDP considering offer to keep Liberals afloat
Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The NDP could seek a long-term agreement to prop up the Liberal government in exchange for a handful of concessions, party officials said Wednesday.
Fresh from winning $4.6 billion more for its priorities in return for helping the Liberals survive a confidence vote, the NDP is upping the ante and contemplating a more wide-ranging deal.
The party inched closer to holding the balance of power in the House of Commons after this week's Labrador byelection gave the Liberals another seat.
They will use their newfound clout to push the government on NDP priorities such as electoral reform, the environment and protection for pensioners.
But the party won't approach the Liberals with any offer until after NDP members discuss possible working scenarios at a caucus meeting next week.
"It's possible that one scenario would be one agreement that would keep (the Liberals) in place,'' said NDP spokesman Jamey Heath.
"It's equally possible that it would be one step at a time....
"In return for three or four items it is possible that we could certainly find an arrangement that would keep Parliament working.''
But any deal would not include NDP MPs sitting in a Liberal cabinet as part of a formal coalition government, he said.
Before making any offer, NDP Leader Jack Layton will take the pulse of his caucus to get a feel for their priorities.
"We'll obviously have discussions with our caucus,'' said NDP House Leader Libby Davies. "At this point it's too early to say what will happen -- other than to say I feel very confident that both our leader and caucus as a whole will play the same kind of ... very constructive, very responsible role in Parliament.''
The NDP rescued the minority Liberals from the jaws of defeat in last week's nailbiter of a vote on the federal budget.
The Liberals secured 19 NDP votes by adding $4.6 billion for housing, the environment, foreign aid and education to their budget.
Thanks to a Liberal byelection win in Labrador on Tuesday, a Liberal-NDP alliance now has a better chance of survival even in the absence of cancer-stricken Independent MP Chuck Cadman, who cast the deciding vote last week.
The byelection win means that, with the NDP, Independent Carolyn Parrish and a tie-breaking vote by Speaker Peter Milliken, the government would have the 154 required votes to survive a confidence motion.
Layton wants the revised budget passed before the parliamentary summer break, scheduled to begin June 23 -- no easy task considering the NDP and Liberals are outnumbered by the Tories and Bloc on the Commons Finance committee.
It's not clear what life expectancy any further NDP-Liberal deal could have.
Prime Minister Paul Martin has promised to call an election early next year, after Justice John Gomery issues his report on the sponsorship scandal.
"Paul Martin has made his bed and he's going to have to lie in it.... That's his problem,'' Heath said.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives appear increasingly unlikely to try to bring down the government in the foreseeable future.
Though deputy leader Peter MacKay didn't explicitly rule out an election, he did predict on Wednesday a new period of stability in Parliament.
He said his party must use the electoral lull to explain to voters what positive changes a Conservative government would bring.
"We have to be more diligent in projecting a policy position and communicating to Canadians where we stand on a whole range of options,'' MacKay said in an interview.
"And (we should be) appearing in a more positive, thoughtful way. As opposed to being detractors and critics, we've got to be constructive, articulate and passionate about our country.''
But he couldn't resist a shot at the Liberal-NDP budget deal that kept Martin in power.
"The prime minister is on a spendaholic-type spending spree where he just can't help himself,'' MacKay said.
"If this continues it's going to wreck the fiscal framework of the country.''
Well folks, is this what Canadians want?
The NDP can really try and put the screws to us now, and cost us jobs, as well as implement tax hikes.
Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The NDP could seek a long-term agreement to prop up the Liberal government in exchange for a handful of concessions, party officials said Wednesday.
Fresh from winning $4.6 billion more for its priorities in return for helping the Liberals survive a confidence vote, the NDP is upping the ante and contemplating a more wide-ranging deal.
The party inched closer to holding the balance of power in the House of Commons after this week's Labrador byelection gave the Liberals another seat.
They will use their newfound clout to push the government on NDP priorities such as electoral reform, the environment and protection for pensioners.
But the party won't approach the Liberals with any offer until after NDP members discuss possible working scenarios at a caucus meeting next week.
"It's possible that one scenario would be one agreement that would keep (the Liberals) in place,'' said NDP spokesman Jamey Heath.
"It's equally possible that it would be one step at a time....
"In return for three or four items it is possible that we could certainly find an arrangement that would keep Parliament working.''
But any deal would not include NDP MPs sitting in a Liberal cabinet as part of a formal coalition government, he said.
Before making any offer, NDP Leader Jack Layton will take the pulse of his caucus to get a feel for their priorities.
"We'll obviously have discussions with our caucus,'' said NDP House Leader Libby Davies. "At this point it's too early to say what will happen -- other than to say I feel very confident that both our leader and caucus as a whole will play the same kind of ... very constructive, very responsible role in Parliament.''
The NDP rescued the minority Liberals from the jaws of defeat in last week's nailbiter of a vote on the federal budget.
The Liberals secured 19 NDP votes by adding $4.6 billion for housing, the environment, foreign aid and education to their budget.
Thanks to a Liberal byelection win in Labrador on Tuesday, a Liberal-NDP alliance now has a better chance of survival even in the absence of cancer-stricken Independent MP Chuck Cadman, who cast the deciding vote last week.
The byelection win means that, with the NDP, Independent Carolyn Parrish and a tie-breaking vote by Speaker Peter Milliken, the government would have the 154 required votes to survive a confidence motion.
Layton wants the revised budget passed before the parliamentary summer break, scheduled to begin June 23 -- no easy task considering the NDP and Liberals are outnumbered by the Tories and Bloc on the Commons Finance committee.
It's not clear what life expectancy any further NDP-Liberal deal could have.
Prime Minister Paul Martin has promised to call an election early next year, after Justice John Gomery issues his report on the sponsorship scandal.
"Paul Martin has made his bed and he's going to have to lie in it.... That's his problem,'' Heath said.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives appear increasingly unlikely to try to bring down the government in the foreseeable future.
Though deputy leader Peter MacKay didn't explicitly rule out an election, he did predict on Wednesday a new period of stability in Parliament.
He said his party must use the electoral lull to explain to voters what positive changes a Conservative government would bring.
"We have to be more diligent in projecting a policy position and communicating to Canadians where we stand on a whole range of options,'' MacKay said in an interview.
"And (we should be) appearing in a more positive, thoughtful way. As opposed to being detractors and critics, we've got to be constructive, articulate and passionate about our country.''
But he couldn't resist a shot at the Liberal-NDP budget deal that kept Martin in power.
"The prime minister is on a spendaholic-type spending spree where he just can't help himself,'' MacKay said.
"If this continues it's going to wreck the fiscal framework of the country.''
Well folks, is this what Canadians want?
The NDP can really try and put the screws to us now, and cost us jobs, as well as implement tax hikes.
