Categories: Need to know

NDP rejects federal budget

Spring election looms as opposition announces it will vote down Conservative budget

by macleans.ca on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 6:22pm - 25 Comments

NDP leader Jack Layton announced Tuesday that his party will not support the federal budget. They join the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois in rejecting the government’s proposed spending, thereby paving the way for a non-confidence motion that could bring down the Conservatives. Speaking to reporters after Finance Minister Jim Flaherty presented the budget in the House of Commons, Layton said that the Conservatives had an opportunity to meet the needs of families, but that “Mr. Harper’s budget did not do that.”

CBC News

Tags: Budget

Reverend_Blair

Also, if they get another minority it will reiterate the fact that Canadians do not trust them with a majority and allow the opposition to hold them in check more easily. More to the point, if the ballot question for the opposition is Conservative corruption and the Conservatives get a minority, then the opposition will have a mandate to drag them in front of committees for contempt every time they misbehave.

M_A_D_world

It could also stand to reason that the party bases have become entrenched and that swing voters aren't voting.
These faces are are largely recycled from the past few elections, where's the change?
Thwim

Wait.. how does us not trusting them with a majority allow the opposition to hold them in check more easily? I mean, I understand the theory, but evidence from the previous two election works against that.

Reverend_Blair

It's an issue this time. In the previous two elections, the Conservatives weren't suffering from serial scandals and their accountability wasn't a ballot question. All of the opposition parties are going to running against Conservative unaccountability this time, so any gains they make will give them a mandate to keep the Conservatives in check.

Thwim

And you expect the CPC to pay attention to this "mandate" because … uh… why again?

Reverend_Blair

Um, I don't expect the CPC to pay attention to it. I expect the opposition to.

They should have been going after Ministers back in 2006, likely starting with Rona Ambrose's tenuous relationship with the truth when she was environment minister. They should have been going after the government for withholding documents by early 2007. This behaviour from the Conservatives isn't new, it's been part of their SOP since they took over…arguably since before they took over if you consider the way they let the meat packers off the hook during the mad cow crisis.

If the opposition parties are campaigning against Conservative corruption, they will have a mandate to take action over every Conservative misstep.
Mike T.

It's a nice thought, but frankly a mandate and a $1.25 will get you a cup of coffee at Tim Horton's. I think and hope the CPC should be held accountable, but it should be done irregardless of election results.

Green

You lost me when you said that Jeffrey Simpson wrote a good column.
chet

I'll take an "M" for majority, Pat.

This one won't even be close.

Not even close.

A straight up choice between Iggy and Harper will produce the worst showing for the Liberals in their party history.
chet

Translation: at least we'll be rid of Iggy.

Yes, something a lot of Liberals are whispering under their chins these days.
http://my.opera.com/ZakMichigan/blog/ Jean Chicoine

"Harper's gov't took Canada through the economic crisis and we survived much better than any other country."
Wrong. The banking regulations, or whatever it's called, that saved Canadian economy from sinking too deep were already in place. Harper just had to ride the wave.
Dave of the North

" NDP rejects federal budget" WHA…!!! No Way!!!
Dave of the North

That was sarcasm right?

exccanuck

All in all, one supposes that the professional politicians feel that they need an election to justify their miserable existences, and therefore, we will have and indeed should have an election. One further supposes that the Canadian electorate will now exercise its right to pronounce on which lot of rascals are best thrown out.

M_A_D_world

Too many Canadians tune out politics until an election is called to be really turned off by much that happens before an official election call.
That may explain in part the polling numbers even as the government faces questions over it's ethics and accountability.
In short, what's taken place only matters to those paying attention.

Thwim

Has only mattered to, you mean.

It could certainly start to matter now.

West Newf

He's a Liberal. Think is a foreign concept to him!

Thwim

Too cold to stay under your bridge, eh?

Philanthropist

The budget is reasonable, therefore the socialists hate it, they want tax increases and greater dependence on government – that way if they attain power you'll have to answer to them.
DerekPearce

No, they'll be paying attention to an election finally. They'll forget by election day who's "fault" it is for "causing" it. It's good to vote.
DerekPearce

This is good. The public will get a chance to more directly compare the PM and the alternatives. So it hasn't been the usual 4 years since the last election, big deal.
Mike T.

And when there's no coaltion, they're out of arguments for next time.
gary

NDP rejects federal budget – I reject NDP.
Keith in Brampton

It's the clown suit. Though it brings out a pathological fear in some.
Thwim

This being a change from previous in what fashion?