Liberals Propose Non-Confidence Motion, Governing Coalition

The Canadian Press - November 28, 2008
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM...

OTTAWA — The Liberal Opposition plans to introduce a motion in the House of Commons on Monday declaring non-confidence in the minority Conservative government and proposing a governing coalition.

The motion comes as emissaries from the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois hold talks about forming a new government should Prime Minister Stephen Harper's minority fall.

But Harper could still avert the immediate defeat of his weeks-old government through procedural tactics.

The Liberal motion, which has the approval of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois, reads:

"In light of the government's failure to recognize the seriousness of Canada's economic situation and its failure in particular to present any credible plan to stimulate the Canadian economy and to help workers and businesses in hard-pressed sectors such as manufacturing, the automotive industry and forestry, this House has lost confidence in this government and is of the opinion that a viable alternative government can be formed within the present House of Commons."

A source says the opposition parties have agreed that Liberal Leader Stephane Dion would lead the government for the next few months.

The Liberals have a leadership convention scheduled for May 2 to replace Dion.

The Liberal motion comes after a frantic 24 hours in which the Harper government tabled a highly provocative fall fiscal update that failed to include any significant economic stimulus measures - but did poke a stick in the eye of opposition parties and government unions.

A combative Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Friday the government won't back down on a single measure, despite the opposition threats.

"We're staying on track," Flaherty said in Toronto.

"This is the financial plan of the government of Canada. This is a matter of confidence."

But the Tories were clearly scrambling to avert a self-induced political catastrophe. An unprecedented flurry of Conservative media briefings and interviews Friday endeavoured to paint the opposition fury as a mere fit of pique over lost public subsidies.

"We take what we're hearing at face value, that the opposition is threatening to change the government without going back to the people, two months after a general election, for the sole reason of protecting their entitlements," said Kory Teneycke, Harper's director of communications.

"Our government is focused on the economy."

The fiscal update included a measure to strip political parties of their per-vote public financing, which would cement the financial supremacy of the Conservative party and its state-of-the-art fundraising machine.

The update also would deny federal public-sector unions the right to strike for the next three years, and promised to reform the "costly and litigious" pay equity regime.

Opposition MPs said Friday that even if those positions were reversed, the absence of any immediate economic stimulus measures dooms the Conservative plan.

"This is why we're having those (coalition) discussions, because we just can't accept the proposals made by the government yesterday," said Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe.

While Liberals and New Democrats discussed who would sit in a coalition cabinet, Duceppe said his party's demands are simple.

"I mean to have come with stimuli concerning economy. To have a real plan for manufacturing and forestry sector. To have a better conditions for the employment insurance and so on."