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Baraka_Guru · 03-25-2011, 12:48 PM

"We've seen an historic moment in our democracy ... a prime minister condemned by the chamber for contempt. He's lost the confidence of the House of Commons."
—Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff

"Ottawa is clearly broken and this election is going to be about how we're going to fix it."
—NDP Leader Jack Layton

"This government didn't respect fundamental rules of democracy. Mr. Harper doesn't deserve the confidence of Quebeckers."
—Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe

Quote:

Government's defeat sets up election call
CBC News
Posted: Mar 25, 2011 12:58 PM ET
Last Updated: Mar 25, 2011 4:31 PM ET

A non-confidence vote has defeated the Conservative government, clearing the way for a spring election

It's official — the government has fallen from power, clearing the way for a spring election.

The opposition Liberals, NDP and Bloc Québécois came together Friday afternoon in a historic vote to say they no longer have confidence in the Conservative government.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper addressed reporters after the vote and said he would meet with the Governor General on Saturday "to inform him of the situation and to take the only course of action that remains," referring to the dissolution of Parliament and an immediate election campaign.

Harper began his remarks by saying that while Canada's economic recovery has been strong, the global economy is still fragile.

"The budget presented this week by the minister of finance, the next phase of Canada's Economic Action Plan, is critically important," Harper said.

"There's nothing — nothing — in the budget that the opposition could not or should not have supported. Unfortunately Mr. Ignatieff and his coalition partners, the NDP and the Bloc, had already decided they wanted to force an election instead," Harper said. "The fourth election in seven years. An election Canadians clearly don't want."

"Thus the vote today that disappoints me, will, I expect, disappoint Canadians," Harper said.

He did not take questions.

Opposition leaders react

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said Harper showed his contempt for democracy by not taking questions.

"We've seen an historic moment in our democracy ... a prime minister condemned by the chamber for contempt," Ignatieff said. "He's lost the confidence of the House of Commons."

"Over 36 days we'll present an appeal to Canadians who don't just want to restrain him but replace him," Ignatieff said in reference to the campaign.

Ignatieff was repeatedly pressed by reporters to state "yes" or "no" to the question of whether he would seek to form a coalition government in the event of another Conservative minority, but he would only say he was focused on presenting a Liberal alternative to the Conservatives.

"If you vote for the NDP, if you vote for the Bloc, if you vote for the Greens, you will get more of this," Ignatieff said, gesturing back to the House chamber. "More contempt for democracy, more neglect of the priorities of Canadian families."

NDP Leader Jack Layton portrayed his party as the alternative to the Conservatives.

"New Democrats will be all across the country taking on the Conservatives, and we'll show that we're the only party capable of defeating the Conservatives coast to coast to coast," Layton said.

"Ottawa is clearly broken and this election is going to be about how we're going to fix it," Layton added.

Layton, who is recovering from prostate cancer and recently had hip surgery, said his test results and his health have been good.

"I had my stitches out yesterday, I expect to be rid of the walking assistance in a few weeks ... I'm not sure what other details you want. I could undress right here before you, but I don't think that would be in the interest of Canadian politics or good television," he said, prompting laughter from reporters.

Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe disputed Harper's statement that it was the opposition who thrust voters into a campaign, saying Harper "wanted an election and he got an election." He said democracy is a tool voters have at their disposal to punish a government they disagree with.

"This government didn't respect fundamental rules of democracy," he said. "Mr. Harper doesn't deserve the confidence of Quebeckers."

A historic vote

Only five other non-confidence votes have happened in Canada's history, according to information on the Library of Parliament website. This is the first time it has occurred because a majority of MPs voted that they believed the government was in contempt of Parliament.

Former Conservative — now Independent — MP Helena Guergis and independent MP André Arthur both voted against the Liberal motion. Liberal MP Keith Martin, who is not seeking re-election, was not in the House for the vote.

In the moments before the vote, many opposing MPs, including Harper and Ignatieff, shook hands.

Ignatieff had kicked off debate earlier Friday, urging MPs to defeat the government.

"A government that breaks the rules and conceals the facts from the Canadian people does not deserve to remain in office," he said.

The motion said the House agrees with a Commons committee report tabled earlier this week that found the government in contempt of Parliament, "which is unprecedented in Canadian parliamentary history, and consequently the House has lost confidence in the Government."

Speaking for the Tories, Government House Leader John Baird said the opposition is ending the work of a Parliament that's gotten a lot done recently.

"The Liberal members over there claimed to have found that the government has done something wrong," Baird said. "What they aren't telling Canadians is that this was an opposition-stacked committee who used the tyranny of the majority to get the predetermined outcome they wanted."

Earlier this week, the procedure and House affairs committee tabled a report that said the government is in contempt of parliament for refusing to supply enough information on the cost of the F-35 fighter jets, their justice system reforms and their projections for corporate profits and tax rates.

Government's defeat sets up election call - Politics - CBC News

Well, it's all but official. The government has been defeated, and all that's left is for Harper to dissolve parliament. It looks like we're going to the polls in the first week of May.

This is going to be an interesting campaign. The Tories—who were voted in, in part as the "party of accountability" on the tail of the Liberals and their sponsorship scandal—have been defeated on a vote of non-confidence for being found in contempt of parliament...read: they lied to parliament. If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time in history that a government within the Commonwealth has fallen due to contempt. This is serious.

That's not the only issue. The Tories now have a log of issues regarding their integrity that's biting them in the ass. Yet, people say the Liberals are unelectable and we will probably just see another Tory government.

Others are worried about a Tory majority. Sure enough, the Tories are strong in the polls, still ranking in the 40s—which is odd, considering they seem to be unscathed by their controversies that, according to many, rank up to or surpass the Liberal sponsorship scandal.

What do you make of the current environment?
Is this an "unnecessary election" as the Tories would have us believe?
Will it be the same old, same old and another Tory minority?
Will Iggy surprise us with a change of tack and an attractive platform?
Will the NDP boost their seats and their clout?
Will we see a coalition government between the NDP, Liberals and the Bloc?
Will a coalition be a good thing or a bad thing?

Personally, I think the Tories need to be punished by the Canadian public. Unfortunately, these issues are not the kind of thing that affect the average Canadian family. They're not "kitchen table" issues like health care and the economy; they're parliamentary issues. It's unfortunate, because the Harper government is quite possibly the most undemocratic government in the history of Canada.

I think it's time for a change. To vote the Tories back into power would be damaging to our politics and to our democracy.