CTV has an exclusive report stating that Peter MacKay was asked to sign the infamous letter stating no side-deals, but that he refused and so Jim Flaherty did so instead.
The Liberals must be smelling blood now:
Liberal senators, who hold a majority, say they might even take up MacDonald's call to defeat the budget.
"If Mr. Harper wants this budget, Mr. Harper is going to have to change this budget," said Liberal Sen. Terry Mercer of Nova Scotia.
Having the Senate vote down the budget would be a vote of non-confidence in the government and an election could result.
"It would be totally irresponsible and it would be unprecedented for the unelected Senate to defeat a budget bill," said Conservative Sen. Marjory LeBreton, the party's house leader.
So, if the unelected, lottery-for-life Liberal and Atlantic Senators vote down this budget, we could be facing a summer election. Mike Duffy was discussing that option last night, and he sure didn't look enthused. I can't see Harper backing down in this game of chicken though.
Should be interesting to see how it all plays out.
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Update: Well if this doesn't entice the Liberals to try to force an election, nothing will!
Evening Update: Budget passes! Now it's in the gritty hands of the Senate.
Evening Update: Budget passes! Now it's in the gritty hands of the Senate.
21 comments:
So, if the unelected, lottery-for-life Liberal
Maybe Fortier should give up his seat right now if that's the way you really feel Joanne....
Funny how the blowback is coming from Cons - maybe you should address the issues instead of trying to deflect to the Liberals.
This is a "new government" problem and spin away as much as you'd like, it's a test of Harper's way of doing things...
Fortier's appointment was distasteful to many Blogging Tories.
Regarding this issue, though, I think that Harper's stance may actually end up being a masterful stroke in a long-term strategy.
Without going in hyperbole (masterful?), it seems that this was not expected by the PMO.
MacKay seems to be standing up (or thinking of his political future).
When Harper says: "We don't break contracts; we respect contracts," and asking that this be taken to court, don't you find it somewhat ironic?
I mean we are breaking Kyoto and this PM always said he would not use to courts this way.
So while Harper will likely get away with it, I don't think it's a masterful strategy at all.
Forier's appointment was within Parliamentary procedure. If the unelected Senate has more to say about government proceedings than our elected representatives, Canada is in more trouble than just this east-west bickering.
We have NOT broken Kyoto, we just can't reach it's targets that were "negotiated" by Liberals. The Atlantic Accord STILL EXISTS and is not broken. NS and NFD-Lab can still get all of the benefits from it right up until it expires 2019 (negotiated by the Liberals).
The real problem is the liberals refusal to understand that they are OUT OF POWER and don't control the strings - TOO BAD
west coast teddi (and not ANON)
wouldn't it be deserving if the Senate ended up torpedoing itself into it's own demise?
But that is too much to hope for!
wouldn't it be deserving if the Senate ended up torpedoing itself into it's own demise?
Bingo! Hence, the 'masterful' strategy.
If we're breaking Kyoto it's because it was signed by a megalomaniacal retard.
At least Fortier would vote for the bill to limit senators' terms to 8 years, currently being held up by Liberal senators, who would probably vote against it, but don't want to be seen doing so.
John, although I may agree with the substance of your comment, please do not lower yourself to the level of those-who-shall-not-be-named from the previous post.
Joan, excellent point. That is a whole other kettle of stinking fish.
First a request to not be a name caller.
John, although I may agree with the substance of your comment, please do not lower yourself to the level of those-who-shall-not-be-named from the previous post.
Then a relapse
Joan, excellent point. That is a whole other kettle of stinking fish.
I love the smell of panic in the morning!
I think that Harper's stance may actually end up being a masterful stroke in a long-term strategy.
how so? in the long term, it looks more and more like stephen harper will be little more than the defeated leader of an impotent minority government.
Jeff, I suppose it depends how you define your goals and how you measure success.
If the budget passes Parliament (and it likely will), then it is up to the Senate to make a tough decision.
A very tough decision.
I'd be interested in knowing how this is playing out in the minds of the public in ROC. While we know this will anger most Altantic Canadians, I don't even see it on the radar in Ontario. What about Quebec, Alta and BC? If I hear anything said, I hear not nice comments re: its about time we were cutting the 'welfare' of the Atlantic region.
What is the pulse of the people on this? I think its big yawn in the rest of the country.
Anon, good question. I don't see this as a big deal to very many other provinces either, except that the opposition parties are doing their best to make it so.
Tango Juliette sez:
So much to do, so little time.
Senate Appointments and Cabinet Postings?
Long time Liberal PM, Wm. L. McK. King, during his long and illustrious reign, and no doubt in careful consultation with his dead Mummie and his wee doggie, appointed more than 100 people into the Senate. A number of unelected Canadians were also appointed to his various cabinets. Most eventually ran for their seats in various by-elections.
If memory serves, at all close to accurate, least two of King's unelected Cabinet Minister eventually went on to become Prime Ministers in their own right. Similar events ocurred within Conservative and Union governments as well.
It is indeed rich and humerous to hear, read and watch history-challenged Lib- fanatics turn themselves inside-out, in feigned righteous indignation over the Sen. Fortier, cabinet Minister, situation.
Kyoto? Dion and the Liberals delivered a skewered and a 'de facto' denied,thwarted, D.O.A., still-born version of Steffi's over-touted Accord.
If he treated his dog in similar fashion, the S.P.C.A. would have Steff behind bars.
36% in the wrong direction. that's the legacy of Dion and the do-nothing Liberal Party approach to what they call 'effectiveness.'
"The Pembina Institute said that his (Harper's) plan is six to seven times less effective than the Liberal plan that we had and that Mr. Harper killed," Dion claims.
Hell, at these rates of 'effectiveness,' with the Lib results being the 'bench-mark,'the conservatives will have the whole GHG boondoggle cut back to pre-"1492 first contact" environmental conditions.
to all the lib-lovers in the crowd, a bit of a word from Groucho Marx about Doris Day: "I knew her before she became a virgin."
My own personal update on this groucho greatness?
"Liberals? I knew them before they pretended to love Canada, before they feigned support for our military, before they claimed to have a soul, before they pretended to see the light, before they faked fighting for truth and justice."
ciao,
tj
The only worthwhile liberal is an arrested, convicted and incarcerated clown in "stripes."
typos errors and omissions excepted
If the budget passes Parliament (and it likely will)
Where would it be without the BQ supporting that - how ironic...
Joanne: "Anon, good question. I don't see this as a big deal to very many other provinces either, except that the opposition parties are doing their best to make it so."
The Rest of Canada for the most part might not be paying attention to the details of this most recent spat, but I imagine that they're starting to feel that details aside, Harper has been engaged in one hissy fit after another since getting into office. He's behaving like opposition, and petty opposition at that.
The long, tiring, unproductive era of bickering between the provincial and federal governments is rather obviously coming to a head.
Nope, no summer election. I think that Harper can get mileage out of his stance re: equalization from the "have" provinces and voters.
It's not playing at all in Ontario where we're being treated to Christmas in June by McGuinty and his sack of our taxdollars. Christmas is expected through to October. Will Ontarians be bought with their own money?
Never EVER again will I trust another Liberal - provincial or federal. I'd vote NDP before I'd consider voting Liberal again.
No election until October 2009 unless the opposition prevents the government from governing.
This whole Atlantic Accord business stinks worse than the Halifax Harbour on a hot & humid day. I'll admit that I haven't been out polling every person I talk to, but the hysteria being played up by the likes of CTV is beyond what I've encountered since the story broke. People aren't too happy, but most don't know the full details. Intergovernmental relations not being my particular specialty, I'm not fully up-to-date on the ins and outs of the Accord, but the hyperbole is pretty apparent from all parties. This is, of course, all too typical of the current political environment.
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