By: Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press
TORONTO - New Democrat Leader Jack Layton taunted his Liberal counterpart Michael Ignatieff Saturday to vote against the Conservative government's "Trojan horse" budget legislation.
Layton argued there was "no way" Prime Minister Stephen Harper would allow his government to fall ahead of next month's G8 and G20 summits, and so would be forced to negotiate with a united opposition.
"The opposition has the opportunity to do some tough bargaining with Mr. Harper right now," Layton told The Canadian Press.
"But for that to happen, Mr. Ignatieff has got to be a real Opposition leader."
Layton said the 880-page Bill C-9 contains several provisions his party cannot accept.
Among those measures are ones Layton said would gut environmental-assessment rules — especially relevant in light of the big Gulf of Mexico oil spill. There are also provisions that would allow for the sale of Atomic Energy Canada Ltd., and privatize parts of Canada Post.
The NDP leader said Harper should strip the items from the bill and allow separate debate on them.
"Take those particularly obnoxious things that have nothing to do with the budget out of the budget now," Layton said.
An NDP amendment to be debated in the Commons this coming week would remove them from the larger bill.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said this past week that it's been common for budget-implementation bills to contain various measures but Layton said that didn't make it right.
Flaherty's spokesman, Chisholm Pothier, said Saturday that threatening to delay the bill "puts at risk" more than $500 million in transfer-protection payments to the provinces and other spending.
The legislation also contains "important reforms" to protect federally regulated pension plans and authority to enforce a code of conduct for the debit and credit industry, he said.
"The all-party House of Commons Finance Committee has scrutinized C-9 and passed it without amendment," Chisholm noted.
Ignatieff has indicated he won't oppose the legislation to implement the budget, making it impossible for the New Democrats to block its passage without Liberal help.
Layton accused the Liberal leader of lacking "back-bone" in light of fears that defeating the bill would bring down Harper's minority Conservative government and trigger an election Canadians don't want.
In a speech to the NDP's Ontario provincial council Saturday, Layton also attacked Harper over corporate taxes and pensions.
Instead of increasing Canada Pension Plan benefits, he said, the government is giving big companies $15 billion a year in tax giveaways.
"You know something's wrong in Ottawa when they're handing $15 billion to big business and ignoring ordinary Canadians," Layton said.
"You know something's wrong when the leader of the Opposition rushes to condemn the budget, then makes sure it passes."
The NDP leader said two in three employees in Ontario no longer have a workplace pension plan.
He said Canada Pension Plan benefits should be doubled to $22,000 a year, and the Guaranteed Income Supplement raised.
Expanding the RRSP system isn't enough, as the recession and market crash have shown, Layton said.
