Liberal Leader reviews economic report, considers non-confidence vote

Canadians must wait until Monday to see if Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff will endorse the government's latest economic report card or trigger a non-confidence vote.

Liberals seemed less than impressed with the report card yesterday, saying it doesn't specify how much money has been spent or how many jobs have been created from the $29.4 billion Prime Minister Stephen Harper earmarked to boost the economy.

Liberal finance critic John McCallum said the report has "significant numbers of deficiencies."

"Whether that's sufficient for our party to accord it a failing grade at the end of the day is something that our leader will decide not too long from now."

WEEKEND CONSULT

Jill Fairbrother, spokeswoman for Ignatieff, said her boss plans to take the weekend to read the 234-page report and consult with others before deciding.

The New Democrats and the Bloc Quebecois have already rejected the progress report on the economy, which the Harper government unveiled on Thursday.

Though a snap election isn't expected, it could happen if the three opposition parties vote against the government on a confidence motion next week.

Harper's upbeat report on the economy and his government's handling of the recession said 80% of the $29.4 billion in economic stimulus for this year has been committed.

McCallum said in his view, a pass or fail from the Liberals centres on three questions: Whether the government is actually getting stimulus money out the door; whether additional measures are needed; and how the Liberals assess the government's management of the economy during the recession.

"The $50-billion man doesn't seem to have a clue how he's going to get out of his $50-billion deficit," McCallum said. "There's no longer a time frame."

'LOTS OF JOBS'

Pierre Poilievre, parliamentary secretary to the prime minister, could not give specific figures for job creation as a result of the stimulus measures, saying only "lots of jobs" are being created.

Bloc Quebecois MP Christiane Gagnon said her party is ready for an election but that the government's fate rests with Ignatieff, whom she criticized for taking so long to decide.

The NDP's Paul Dewar agreed. "I don't know how long it takes Mr. Ignatieff to read."

ELIZABETH.THOMPSON@SUNMEDIA.CA

I think there is something wrong with a governmental process that see's the government of the day responding to the whims of the opposition. This actually puts more power into the hands of an egomaniac like Iggy than seems right.

I think there is something wrong with a governmental process that see's the Bloc Quebecois demanding a new election. Why? What can the Bloc possibly hope to gain? A few more seats? How will that help their cause?

The system itself is fundamentally flawed. Maybe some tweaking is in order. Maybe the government of the day needs to find a way to govern through a consensus process with the opposition, but without fear that they will be overthrown every second day.

Maybe members of the opposition are chosen as cabinet ministers. Maybe they form committees of all parties to examine issues and allow those committees to make the decisions. Maybe all votes in the house are blind, allowing MPs to vote their own minds rather than along party lines.

Real government reform is required. At every level.

I think there is something wrong when the Liberals are saying... the defecit is too HIGH.. WE ARE NOT SPENDING MONEY FAST ENOUGH!

and people are nodding heads in agreement.

A few people are nodding...but only a few...and those have their heads up Iggy's ass.

Iggy would be a fool to pull the plug now. They don't have a platform...hell, they don't even have the money to buy the lumber yet.

This crap is just all about Iggy being the pompous jerkoff that he is. Nothing more imo. Half the Liberals will be away next Friday, just you watch.

How do I get off this roller coaster ride?

EdWin wrote:How do I get off this roller coaster ride?

western separation.

I doubt anything would change really. We have created this political monster that won't change simply because we separate. We need to reform politics. Lose this arrogant "there there little citizen, we know better" attitude. Until such time as politicians realize who put them in place and why nothing will change.

Someone here said Doer and his peons have been in power too long and they feel immune. This is perhaps the single biggest reason to impose term limits.

Politics are usual won't do anything but make cosmetic changes.

If you want your wallet bursting with money and the choice to spend it as you see fit, rather than have government with an arrogant "there there little citizen, we know better" attitude, you need to vote Liberterian.

Liberterian governments will shrink the size of government itself. It will get out of businesses that compete with the private sector (CBC, anyone?) It will create so much prosperity that society - the public at large and the business community - will fund cherished arts and culture initiatives. The choice to support arts and culture will lie with society, not with government.

If you believe that the private sector is the best creator of jobs, then you are in sync with Liberterian thinking.

Life would not be a paradise under a Liberterian government. For most on welfare, training would be a requirement and welfare would only be a temporary safety net for them. The private sector would become very closely tied with training future employees in areas where shortages exist. There would no longer be life-long able-bodied/ mentally-able existance on welfare.

Hard choices would be made on INAC. Many reserves would have to close. Learned helplessness would no longer be the hallmark of how Aboriginal people live in Canada. Rather, there would be a new found pride and self-respect for becoming net contributors to the tax base, with control over their lives, rather than living as wards of the state.

Government would no longer create new white elephant projects. If society valued such ideas, the private sector and private citizens would pay for them, and the private sector would charge whatever admission needed to earn sustainable profits. Business plans would no longer rely on government handouts - corporate welfare, under the thinking that taxes would be earned from new white elephant projects. I pay taxes but I don't expect government to buy me a new house or new vehicle.

Life, eventually, could be a whole lot better, if we transitioned from a welfare state to a Libertarian country. It can't happen over night, and the changes needed will upset a lot of people, particularly those unwilling to carry their own weight. In the end, however, the standard of living for those willing to pay the price to get ahead in life, will make Canada the envy of the world, much more so than we already are seen as a desirable place to live.

And Doer and his like of do nothing, business as usual politicos, would have to be swept away big time.

a revolution needs a coffee shop.
I thought it could be cousins maybe the nook.
then hooligans and stellas gave hope ..
but apperantly the revolution is being plotted at hortons.

I remember Harper shutting down Parliament, when it became apparent that He was going to ose a nonconfidence vote.
He changed his budget to listen to the Liberals, and instead of a balanced budget, He brought in a $50, Billion Dollar deficit budget to stir the economy! Now the Liberals are going to bring an election because the Conservatives were so stupid to listen to the Liberals??

What is going on?

winnipegceilingcat wrote:

EdWin wrote:How do I get off this roller coaster ride?

western separation.

Over the years, Canada has become less of a country and more of a loose association of regions. There is so much city vs. city and province vs province where everyone trashes everyone else. That is what happens with such a large landmass; no sense of unity.