Non-confidence motion to be introduced
Posted Mar 23, 2011 01:14:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Liberal party will take steps this afternoon to bring down the Harper government, introducing a non-confidence motion that will be voted on this Friday.
Party leader Michael Ignatieff made the announcement today, citing the recent finding of the Harper government in contempt of Parliament, as well as the “economic failure” of the latest federal budget.
Meantime, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says there is still time for the opposition parties to support the federal budget, and avoid what he calls a “useless” federal election.
Harper says he will not ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament before the Commons votes on the budget.
Speaking this afternoon, Harper encouraged the opposition leaders to “put the interests of Canadians first” and support the current minority government.
Saying the current fragile Canadian economy is not a political game, Harper says he’s disappointed the opposition leaders “didn’t take the time to read the budget,” and that the fiscal blueprint would help stabilize the economic recovery.
Harper called the budget “the next step on the economic action plan” and an important element of growth and recovery, but said the opposition parties “seem to have different priorities.”
He said they have rejected what they promised to support in Tuesday’s budget — help for seniors, home-renovation rebates, help for veterans, tax breaks and socially oriented programs.
– with files from the Canadian Press
