Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Harper warns opposition on Throne Speech

I don't see how any of the opposition parties will be able to vote for the throne speech. Harper will surely not commit to ending the Canadian combat mission in Feb. 2009 and that should mean that all opposition parties will vote against the speech. However Layton sounds a bit hesitant as Dion too at times. Nevertheless all parties have laid down conditions that it seems most unlikely the Conservatives will meet.
I can't wait for the throne speech! I doubt the results of the Ontario election will have much influence on Harper. He must be quite happy about the mess the Liberals are creating by attacking Dion and his key aide.

Harper warns opposition over support for throne speech
Last Updated: Wednesday, October 3, 2007 | 7:12 PM ET
CBC News
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Wednesday that if the opposition supports his upcoming speech from the throne, they must also pass, at later dates, all items that come from it, or risk triggering a federal election.

"The choice is not an election or obstruction. The choice is an election or give the government a mandate to govern," Harper said in his first news conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa since becoming prime minister.

Harper told reporters that the Oct. 16 speech from the throne will lay out the government's plans, touching on issues such as the environment, the economy and Canada's place in the world.

Harper said he doesn't want an election before 2009. But the prime minister added that he would consider any votes during the upcoming parliamentary session on items in the speech from the throne as confidence motions.

"If they get approval of the throne speech, we're going to expect those things to be passed," Harper said.

Harper's Conservatives need the votes of at least one opposition party to survive a confidence vote on the speech from the throne.

Continue Article

Both Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion and Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe have warned that Harper must make major changes to it or they will vote against it.

NDP Leader Jack Layton said Wednesday that he'll have to wait and see whether any of the concerns he's laid out on the environment and Afghanistan are addressed.

But he said that when Harper was in opposition, he wanted to limit confidence votes to the speech from the throne and to the budget.

He said now Harper wants everything to lead to a threat of an election.

"It looks to me like he's more interested in playing political and parliamentary games than in respecting the principles he laid out at the time when he was in opposition."

Harper said a key priority that will be addressed in the speech from the throne will be Afghanistan.

In June, Harper said he wanted to find a consensus among all parties about what Canada should do when the February 2009 mission deadline in Afghanistan expires.

On Wednesday, Harper said consensus was perhaps the wrong word but that he does need some agreement.

"We have to have the support of some members of the opposition — parliamentary support to get a majority vote in favour of deployment," Harper said.

No comments: