25 November 2005

a cold election in hell


Harper unveils no-confidence motion
The binding motion appeared on the House of Commons order paper on Wednesday.

It's to be tabled Thursday by Conservative Leader Stephen Harper.

The House of Commons is expected to vote on the motion on Nov. 28. It is expected to pass because it has the support of all opposition parties.

That would mean Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority Liberal government would fall, triggering an election call on Nov. 29 and a campaign during the holiday season.

The motion reads: 'The House condemns the government for its arrogance in refusing to compromise with the opposition parties over the timing of the next general election and for its 'culture of entitlement,' corruption, scandal and gross abuse of public funds for political purposes and, consequently, the government no longer has the confidence of the House.' The motion stems from a plan to oust the Liberals that came out of talks between Harper, NDP Leader Jack Layton and Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe on Nov. 13.


This one will be interesting. The Canadian Liberals have been in power since 1993. It strikes me that a winter election in Canada will not necessarily make the opposition parties all that popular.