If NDP leader Jack Layton has a campaign hook for a possible fall federal election, he was in no mood to divulge it during a Vancouver stop yesterday.
Rather than discuss elections, Layton used the first stop on his cross country campus tour to plead with parties to put away their “schoolyard” antics.
“I feel it’s better to go back to work than have an election,” Layton said at UBC’s Student Union Building. “Our view has always been to work with parties for results.”
To that end, Layton has dropped a number of motions on Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s table. If the Conservatives agree, the NDP could squash the Liberals’ upcoming vote of no confidence.
Layton was defiant when a student asked how he could prop up a government he tried to overthrow earlier this year.
“There’s a big difference between propping up a government and trying to get things accomplished in Parliament,” he said. “We are doing the latter.”
Layton spent about an hour answering student questions on issues ranging from human rights, health care and military spending to cell phone charges.
Matt Kieltyka reports for Vancouver 24 hours.
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North of Hope
2 years ago
I think its time Harper and
I think its time Harper and Ignatieff listened to the voters. If the voters elect a minority government, because they don't trust a single party to run the country, then that is should happen. They must work together, to make the government work, not fight with each other. If they can't do that and instead go into a name-calling hissy-fit, then they should resign since they are demonstrating they incapable of governing the country.
Sask Resident
2 years ago
Layton
This from the guy that said he would vote against the budget before he read it. Layton reminds me of the book about Thatcher; Deny, deny, deny!
Karen D.
2 years ago
An election is inevitable
They call what we have a democracy. How can that be when our leaders consistently use us all as pawns in their aim to remain in power, at all costs, rather than do what is good for the country as a whole. Our politicians are controlled more by international power and money than they are by their employers - us!
I think that an election is inevitable as Harper has never shown any intent to work with other elected officials and parties. As many Canadians recognize that much of our problems, at the federal level, are caused by an egomaniac PM the obvious solution would be to elect a Liberal government. This would probably result in the NDP losing seats so, of course, Layton would fight against another election. But, Layton is basically trying to maintain the existing NDP seats, where Harper wants to force his deranged ideas on the nation. We need oppositions to hold the power mongers in check, but we also need leaders who will work together for our country.
I do not see Ignatieff as someone who craves power, like Harper, and believe he would make a competent PM who would have no problem working with all elected parties. But, I will not forfeit my support for the NDP as they have a very important role in keeping the balance.
Hermans Hermit
2 years ago
Go Jack Go!
NDP Press Release - August 28:
"The Liberal Party — first under Dion and now under Ignatieff — have a disgraceful track record of propping up Stephen Harper. They’ve rubberstamped his Conservative agenda 79 times and counting."
After trying to bring down the Cons and force an election 79 times and counting, Jack Layton now has got his wish!
realisticman
2 years ago
Jack doesn't want to go
“We’ll side with the Canadian people, that’s who we’ll side with,” Layton told CTV News Channel. “And I guess I’m looking for results for Canadians. And I’m not ready to say that an election is somehow inevitable. We should be trying to make Parliament work.”
Maybe we'll have a Conservative & NDP coalition.
Maybe Jack will launch a stop-Iggy movement.
Des
2 years ago
Hermans Hermit --
sorry, you got it skewed quite a bit. There's a big difference between "propping up" Stephen Harper, as the Liberals did 79 times, and in voting against Harper consistently the same 79 times, as the NDP did. In the first instance, the Libs either abstained or were absent or voted with the Cons. In the second case, the NDP knew the Cons always slip a 'poison pill' into proposed legislation to prevent any agreement from the opposition (thereby getting the opportunity for them to plead that they (the Cons) are being thwarted by the HoC.
Like any coy girl, Harper knows well how to play the field, setting suitors against one another. He may well give Layton signals that he could be agreeable to some reforms to EI, especially on top of giving Gary Doer a plum post.
Harper wants a majority, but will settle for a minority, and he is just manipulative enough to not give a damn about being 'consistent' in courting Jack with some real concessions.
Of course, Harper's main objective in all these dealings is just to make Liberals suffer for the slights they have visited upon him in the past. Like any coy girl.
Des
2 years ago
Coalitions
are the watchword again, I see (reading Realisticman's post).
Those who bitterly complain about the 'illegal' coalition of the Libs, NDP and BQ last year (which forced Harper to don his Coat of Many Colours and trek to the Gov-Gen's House for help) need to be reminded that we watched as The Reform Party of Canada and The Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative consummated a coalition based on the deceit and lies (written on a piece of paper) of Peter MacKay, betraying David Orchard in the process. In that instance it was not only David but the rest of us who got screwed.
I also remind them that Harper had no qualms about joining the BQ (those bloody Separatists!) and the NDP (ugh! Socialists!) in the past, so why wouldn't he stick out his hand to them again? He wants his majority so bad it must make his peanuts ache with longing.
realisticman
2 years ago
Des
Your Orchard affair was internal party politics like the Martinites squeezing out Chretien perhaps. The only people that were screwed were interested parties in the Progressive Conservative party. Not exactly a government takeover.
The coalition coup attempt was premeditated. All the bluster over the government's financial statement was staged and Jack admitted that he was never going to support it no matter what it said.
Harper may well stick his hand out to 'them'. If the policy is considered good. Harper appointed NDPer Gary Doer as ambassador to the USA.
Des
2 years ago
Internal party politics?
Then why, Rman, did the dominant conservative parties take over the name of the PCs at that convention but reject all the PC principles? Which essentially changed the party to Reform-Alliance, except for the name, which they kept because it still had some appeal to Canadians. Internal party politics allow maneuvers, but not outright deception and lies.
You people continue to call the agreement signed by the Libs, the NDP, and the BQ a
"coup" attempt. Pathetic. Check your dictionary.
And yeah, Harper did name Gary Doer as Ambassador. And there's nothing to prevent Harper from "replacing" him sooner rather than later. Just like he "named" a bunch of Senators after saying he would not (he's had three years to "arrange" elections for them but chose not to - probably because he knew the ones he wanted would never have been "elected" by the public).
Frank
2 years ago
Socialists
Harper has asked the NDP to join him in a Coalition? I assume the separatists will be joining the party soon too?