This sounds to me like Jack Layton's NDP might actually decide to support the Conservative budget. What, the righteous and mighty NDP prop-up the forces of evil like they are some kind of Liberals or something? Sounds crazy, I know, and yet:
NDP Leader Jack Layton is making his support for this week's federal budget conditional on it meeting the concerns of Canadian families and dropping large corporate tax cuts."We should be making investments in health, education and infrastructure, where the working families of this country are most concerned," Layton said this weekend during a visit to Quebec.
Layton also called for more money for infrastructure and said the Conservative government should stop subsidizing large oil companies and banks.
So does that mean, if Harper meets their demands, Layton and the NDP will vote for the budget? I thought Layton had already made clear he was voting against the budget though, sight-unseen.
The NDP has already stated it will vote against the budget.Yep, that's what I thought. And also Sunday, Jack told CTV:
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion has abandoned "any pretence of progressive opposition" by musing he might support the looming Conservative budget, says NDP Leader Jack Layton.
Fighting words. But wait, what was that Jack also said Sunday in Quebec?
NDP Leader Jack Layton is making his support for this week's federal budget conditional on it meeting the concerns of Canadian families and dropping large corporate tax cuts.Yeah, that's what I thought he'd said. That kind of sounds to me like Jack musing he might support the looming Conservative budget. Has Layton abandoned any pretense of progressive opposition too?
Or does he actually have no intention of supporting the budget, and instead will vote against it even if it has everything he demands, out of "principle" or something? Lend me your votes indeed.
All that said, it's still slightly more coherent than what's coming out of the Liberal caucus these days. Tomorrow will be interesting. Recommend this Post on Progressive Bloggers
6 comments:
Martin bought Jack, why can't anyone else? I guess Layton's point is that at least he charges a fee whereas Dion leaves the Commons for no charge.
On another note - the one good thing about the NDP was that they didn't have seats in QC and didn't do backflips to placate them. With Mulcair the leader-in-waiting I guess those days are over.
You don't need to worry about this Jeff because Harper will not give into those demands, which are, might I mention, the same kinds of demands that the NDP has been making of this government from day one. So two years later, Mr. Layton is still asking, but also is being practical knowing that Mr. Harper has no interest in delivering on those needs.
I am not Jack, but it ain't so. He is essentially telling Harper to rewrite the budget. The chances of that happening, while not zero, are less than finding gold in my back garden. Meanwhile, is Dion going to vote with the government, abstain, or lead his troops out the door again?
Not sure why your making so much of this, its exactly what Layton and the NDP have asked for in every budget since 2004....it only worked in 2005....Harper won't bend over backwards to help the NDP, and vice-versa. It's all just posturing on the NDPs part, not sure why you decided to take the bait?
If memory serves me, when most of the social iniatives were passed during the '60's and 70's they were due to the NDP supporting a minority government that was able to find a compromise and give a certain amount in order to placate the NDP. If Jack is able to gain what he wants from the Conservatives, or even a nice portion of what he desires, and it will benefit the people of Canada, then the question becomes would it be productive of him to defeat it and take the ensuing criticism that will be forthcoming, from the CPOC and it's supporters?
Consider this;
Harper: "Well we had these benefits for the people of Canada and Layton voted against them... blame him for the corporate taxes."
Sorry, hit publish stead of preview before finished.
I agree with everyone else here, Harper will not change the budget, so it becomes another political stand that Jack is making that should serve him well.
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