Here is the text of the amendments over which we almost had a collapse of the federal government yesterday. The original amendment to the speech from the throne said:
"... and we ask your excellency's advisers to ensure that all measures brought forward to implement the Speech from the Throne, including those referred to above, fully respect the provinces' areas of jurisdiction and that the financial pressures the provinces are suffering as a consequence of the fiscal imbalance be alleviated, as demanded by the premier of Quebec."That was supported by the two weak federalist parties, the separatist Bloc Québécois and the "cry-baby power-hungry no one lets Alberta's 8.5% of the population rule the country" Conservative Party. This is the wording that was accepted at the 11th hour:
"... fully respect the provinces' areas of jurisdiction and that the financial pressures some call the fiscal imbalance may be alleviated."In the first case, I think the proper response was "whoop-dee-doo" and in the second..."whoop-dee-doo". You are going to have a government fall and hold another election over that! The only party that looked good in the whole thing was the NDP for having none of it. Get on governing, you lot.
Comments
KevinG - October 8, 2004 2:29 PM
Nah, none of the parties had any intention of letting the Gov't fall. None of these shenanigans matter outside the halls of parliament but they matter inside the game.
Parliament won't fall until it is in the clear best insterest of one of the major stake holders - or they stuff up the head count.
Robert Paterson - October 8, 2004 2:29 PM
My bet is that if Harper had pushed it - we would have punished him hard in the election
Alan - October 8, 2004 2:35 PM
He is getting Sauruman like, too. Itchy to get power. My pretty... <small>my pretty...hsssssss</small>
Wayne - October 8, 2004 2:47 PM
Somewhere deep in the bowels of this Blog,(unless it has been "shrink-wrapped"!),can be found my bold prediction, made shortly after the election, that we would be returning to the polls again soon...perhaps as early as November. It almost came true last night, and may still prove correct yet.
Perhaps we would have punished Harper here in the Maritimes, but he wouldn't have cared much about it...after all, both he and Gilles represent regional parties.