Stephen Harper: Mr Prime Minister Call a Confidence Vote Today or Resign

The Globe and Mail has the story on the contentious Question Period today:

Prime Minister Paul Martin has called for a vote on the budget for next Thursday, but the Bloc Québécois and Conservatives refused to co-operate, saying they’re not prepared to wait, and want a vote today.

The government and oppostion MPs, now engaged in a procedural staring match over when a confidence motion will happen, did not hold back during Question Period. Attacks flew back and forth across the benches. At one point during questioning, the Tory MPs could be heard calling the Liberals “jerks.”

Opposition Leader Stephen Harper challenged the Prime Minister to either call a confidence vote for today or resign.

Mr. Martin said he had gone too far.

“I would ask him to demonstrate better judgment. He should set the example,” he said, asking for civility.

“The person that is going too far is the Prime Minister that will not uphold democracy in this House,” Mr. Harper shot back.
The Bloc also called for Mr. Martin to call a vote Wednesday or resign.

But the Prime Minister said he had good reason for delaying, saying British Columbia is holding an election on May 17 and the Queen is visiting Alberta and Saskatchewan next week.

Earlier, he made the announcement that he’d call the budget vote for May 19.

“On Thursday, May 19, I will be in Ottawa. And I am proposing that there be, on that day, a vote on the budget bill. This vote will be a matter of confidence,” Mr. Martin told reporters in Ottawa after an emergency cabinet meeting.

“I believe that Canadians want this budget passed,” Mr. Martin said, adding he believes most people want an election after the final report on the sponsorship scandal from Mr. Justice John Gomery, in December.

However, the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois are determined to force an election, and could have enough MPs to do so. The two sides are virtually in a dead heat for votes.
Should the government be defeated, the earliest date for an election would be June 27.

Mr. Martin recognized that the May 19 vote could be lost.

“If the government loses the vote next Thursday, I will seek the dissolution of this Parliament and Canadians will know that Stephen Harper and Gilles Duceppe have worked together to force an election less than one year after the last election,” Mr. Martin said.

But Tory Leader Stephen Harper said he refuses to play “games” any longer.

Both he and Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe said they won’t wait until May 19.

Mr. Harper said Mr. Martin is simply stalling.

“Face the nation, face parliament. If he has a vote he wants us to have, let’s have it today,” Mr. Harper said.

The NDP said Wednesday they don’t want a confidence motion and they called on the Martin government to implement changes they have asked for soon. They say they want to see the budget passed and to see parliament work, for now.
Meanwhile, Tory House Leader John Reynolds said to expect more tactics from opposition Wednesday afternoon.

Some are speculating that the opposition parties could ask that the House be adjourned for the day. The Tories and Bloc are livid after MPs voted 153—150 in favour of a Conservative motion calling on the government to resign on Tuesday night.

The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois, who supported the move, said it clearly indicated that the Liberals had lost the confidence of the House and left them unable to effectively govern.

Independent MP Chuck Cadman was unable to attend because he underwent chemotherapy treatments this week.
The Tories also have two ill MPs–Dave Chatters and Darrel Stinson, who were flown in especially for Tuesday’s vote.

Mr. Harper implied that the Prime Minister was asking that a confidence motion on the budget be delayed on purpose because several Tories are ill. “We’re not going to play another week so that he can hope the health of some members of Parliament deteriorates,” Mr. Harper said.

He was attacked for the comments by House Leader Tony Valeri.
“That’s about as low as you can get.”

Mr. Chatters and Mr. Stinson stood up in the House of Commons and asked Mr. Martin why he would not allow a vote Wednesday, given the gravity of their illnesses.

The Liberals say the vote was on a procedural matter — the motion asked the public accounts committee to rewrite a report so that it called on the government to resign — and did not represent a true measure of confidence of the Liberals’ ability to govern effectively.

The latest turn in Canada’s already volatile political situation comes as polls suggest both the Liberals and Conservatives are running neck-and-neck (31 per cent for the Tories and 27 per cent for the Grits) ahead of a potential election.

If the government fell, it would mean an election around 10 months after Canadians last went to the polls.

The Conservatives have cited outrage over damaging allegations against the Liberals at the Gomery inquiry into the federal sponsorship scandal as necessitating an election.

Captain Ed over at Captains Quarter’s has his take on the events here.

The Conservatives must have been doing some polling.

Times up Mr. Prime Minister.

Call for an election!