Liberals threaten election over budget

[CHIMO]

OTTAWA–Election-shy Liberals are suddenly threatening to bring down Stephen Harper's minority Conservative government as early as next month over legislation to implement the latest federal budget.

The about-face Tuesday followed several weeks of humiliation for Liberals, who've been finding novel ways to avoid defeating the government on crucial confidence votes – including a series of votes on the very budget that they're now warning could prompt a spring election.

Liberal finance critic John McCallum contended that the policy of boycotting, abstaining on or absenting themselves from confidence votes was never intended to apply beyond the Easter parliamentary break.

"We have said that we would not bring the government down at this time before Easter but come April or May or later in the session, circumstances might have changed," McCallum said.

http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/339476

We will see what happens after the bi-elections.

[V. Kid]

1. Hmm... I don't know...

...I doubt the by-elections alone will bolster their weak resolve. Three of the four seats should be easy Liberal holds, the only one that's potentially in trouble is the one in northern Saskatchewan. If anything the Liberals have more to loose than win, since any Conservative or NDP gains would be unexpected. Though of course, since the Liberals are likely to win all four ridings they'll spin that as being on the move or something...which is to be expected.

Something like the Cadman scandal blowing up is about the Liberals only chance. Cause they've pretty well undermined themselves on the issues by abstaining on the budget, and spinning it as being basically a "liberal budget anyways." I think that this Cadman thing might end up being like the whole Germant Grewal thing, just in reverse though...and that turned out so well for the Conservative after all. On the other hand, the Conservative lawsuit might look like over-reach and play into Harper's arrogant persona.

BTW: http://www.liberal.ca/story_13624_e.aspx <- News Releases like this one...

OTTAWA – The Liberal Opposition will not bring down the Conservatives based on their latest budget because it adopts many of the measures the Liberal Party has championed, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said today.

“Because the Conservative government has already spent the cupboard bare with their previous budgets and Economic Update, this budget does not go as far as we would like in some areas, but it does not warrant an election that Canadians don’t want, at a time when so much remains to be done in this Parliament,” said Mr. Dion.

“With this budget, the Conservative government has begun to move in the direction that the Liberal Opposition has been pushing. This government is obviously lacking its own ideas, which is why it has adopted so many of ours from funding infrastructure, to bolstering R&D, and manufacturing.”

....don't give the 'official' opposition a whole lot credibility if they want to present themselves as an alternative.

[CHIMO]

2. Well

Keep you're eye on the Sask. vote.

Mary looks to win and so does Martin's guy in TO.

If Sask. doesn't go Liberal then Dion will have a lot more say in things.

Look behind the scene and what might be happening.

Dion lost Outremont. He should have support with his original supporters and their ideas.

[IntravenousDemilo]

3. It should be David Orchard.

I'd love to see him facing down Peter MacKay in the House day after day.