Sudden election pending in Canada

[Ani_Ibi]

Martin begins selling his message, opposition begins countdown to election

Last Updated Fri, 22 Apr 2005 22:51:58 EDT CBC News

OTTAWA - Conservatives have introduced a motion in the House of Commons that calls on the government to resign - and the first possible date the motion could be put to a vote is May 18.

• INDEPTH: Sponsorship Scandal

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/pix/mart(name removed by moderator)aul_cp_7500509.jpg Prime Minister Paul Martin reads his address to the nation in his office on Parliament Hill. (CP photo)

Conservative House leader Jay Hill says the initiative is meant to give the party more ammunition when it’s ready to force a federal vote, while Stephen Harper says he and his MPs will be consulting the public next week on whether to press for an early election in the shadow of the revelations from the Gomery inquiry. “We will do whatever we can to ensure that when we return and have heard from the population of Canada, all options are available to us,” Harper said in the House of Commons on Friday.

• INDEPTH: Address to the nation

On Thursday, Prime Minister Paul Martin broadcast a national address pleading for more time before going to the polls. On Friday, less than a day after bypassing the media to speak directly to Canadians about the sponsorship scandal, Martin did a series of one-on-one interviews with major TV and radio networks.

It’s part of an offensive to convince Canadians that there should be no election before Justice John Gomery issues his report on the scandal, probably in late November or early December.

Martin was asked by the CBC’s Don Newman if the “interviews and the appearance last night [Thursday] are because you’re desperate? Are you desperate?”

“Not at all,” said Martin.

The prime minister repeated again that he will call an election 30 days after Justice Gomery releases his final report. And he insists it is the opposition that’s obstructing Parliament.

“Parliament has a problem. The atmosphere in parliament is vicious, but the government is getting on with its agenda, and in fact we are succeeding if you take a look,” said Martin.

• YOUR SPACE: Send us your thoughts

There have been a flurry of announcements in the last two weeks, including a deal in British Columbia to share gas tax revenues with the province’s cities; new immigration rules; new foreign and defence policies.

But the prime minister complains they’re not getting through to the public, because they’re being overshadowed by the threat of a snap election.

NDP Leader Jack Layton appears to agree.

“You know a lot of people aren’t consumed with the corruption and problems in the Liberal party,” said Layton.

The NDP is offering to support the Liberals if they drop all corporate tax cuts in the proposed budget. BQ [Bloc Quebecois] Leader Gilles Duceppe says “it’s too late for that.”

The opposition parties say the clock is ticking down on Martin’s government. But the Liberals are banking that Martin’s address will win over Canadians because they trust him more than they trust the other leaders.

 

[David_Oatney]

Ani Ibi:

You’re guess is based on false assumptions. At the provincial level, the Conservatives lost $5 billion; they just couldn’t account for it. The premier at the time was finance minister when the money was lost. Almost an additional $1 million was kicked back to a friend of the premier. They brought this province and the City of Toronto to its flipping knees, arrogantly blaming our woes on the poor.

Ten years ago approximately the Canadian public had had enough of the corruption in the Conservative government and reduced them to 2 seats, virtually wiping them off the face of the earth. In all that time, the conservative and alliance and other right-wing parties kept on in-fighting and couldn’t get it together.

I am actually very well aware and well-informed about Canadian political history (I should be, since I have family members in the employ of the present Government in various small capacities there) and you are forgetting one critical fact yourself:

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While the present Conservative Party does have many old PC’s in it, it is not the Progressive Conservative Party. In fact, politically speaking, its platform and voting record (and its composition in Parliament) more closely resemble the old SoCreds than it resembles the Progressive Conservative Party. At the federal level, the Progressive Conservative Party has ceased to exist. It is history.

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