Bloc plans to prop up Harper's minority (Canada)

The Globe and Mail ^ | February 20, 2006. | BILL CURRY

[fanfan]

Ottawa

The Bloc Québécois says it intends to keep the Conservative minority government in office for a “good while,” encouraged by the Tories' openness toward Quebec.

With the Liberals already digging in their heels more than a month before the new Parliament begins and the NDP at least one vote shy of holding the balance of power, the Bloc will often be the deciding factor between Conservative success and an early federal election.

Many federal Liberals warned during the last election that a Conservative minority beholden to the Bloc would lead to the dismantling of federal powers and a rise in Quebec sovereignty.

But Bloc House Leader Michel Gauthier dismisses those warnings.

In an interview, he said his party has no intention of imposing such demands and will simply be happy with an end to Liberal centralization and the Conservative pledge to respect the constitutional division of powers.

“We don't want useless battles. We want to help the government function for a while. I have no shame in saying I will be urging my colleagues . . . to conduct ourselves in a way that the government stays in place for a good while to do what needs to be done,” he said in French.

“[The Conservatives] have already shown more openness than the Liberals. The Liberals were centralist in everything they did, trying to infringe on the responsibilities of Quebec. It couldn't be worse that that. I think the Conservatives will be more respectful of Quebec's responsibilities.”

Mr. Gauthier said the Bloc will not spearhead specific policies, but will push to ensure government policies are good for Quebec.

“You can't be too dogmatic. You can't head into the session saying you want to transfer all responsibilities to Quebec. It's not that at all,” he said.

The 2006 election results surprised the Bloc, which had expected to use better results to build momentum toward a Parti Québécois victory provincially and an ensuing referendum on sovereignty. Instead, the Tories won 10 seats in the province and finished second in dozens of ridings, marking a major shift in the province's federal voting patterns.

The Conservatives won 124 seats on Jan. 23 and with the defection of David Emerson from the Liberals, now have 125 seats. The Liberals have 102 seats, the Bloc 51, the NDP 29 and there is one Independent member, who is from Quebec. Combined, the Conservatives and the Bloc have enough MPs to control the House.

The olive branch from the Bloc is being offered as senior Liberals, including Opposition Leader Bill Graham, are vowing to fight hard against the Conservatives' main election platforms and attacking the NDP.

New Government House Leader Rob Nicholson said he is optimistic that all parties will be able to work together issue by issue regardless of the “opening gambits” from the opposition.

“We're hoping for support from all corners of the House,” he said. “I don't believe that [the Liberals] are going to be unconciliatory. I really believe that over the course of this Parliament they will want it to work.”

Though all three opposition House leaders said they expect to be consulted on the government's Throne Speech, Mr. Nicholson said he will need another week to decide exactly what will occur.

“We'll put [the Throne Speech] together ourselves as much as we can and I'm sure there'll be consultations with the other parties,” he said.

Former finance minister Ralph Goodale, who is now the Liberal House Leader, repeated his party's position that the Tories should not count on them to prop up the government.

Mr. Goodale said it will be up to the Bloc and the NDP to play that role because those parties joined with the Tories to defeat the Liberal government.

The Liberal House Leader also laid out his party's top four priorities, a wish list that sees little room for compromise with the Conservatives.

It includes fighting to maintain the Liberal deals with the provinces on child care and the Liberal cuts to personal income taxes even though the Tories promised to scrap those items to pay for a $1,200-a-child tax credit to parents with children under 6 and an immediate one-percentage-point cut to the GST.

Protecting the $5-billion Kelowna agreement for aboriginals was listed third, Mr. Goodale said, with unding for cities next. He said other priorities could be added later.

Both Mr. Gauthier, and NDP House Leader Libby Davies have criticized the Liberals' hard-line approach to the new Parliament as irresponsible, but Mr. Goodale rejected that view.

He said the NDP should have kept the Liberals in office if they wanted a national daycare program.

“The NDP can't have it both ways. They have to assume their responsibility. They've made their bed and now they have to lie in it,” he said.

The NDP says it intends to be constructive and is fuming at the stern language coming from the Liberals.

“Obviously they're not used to being in opposition,” Ms. Davies said.

“I feel that that's a very short-sighted, very partisan, very narrow position to put forward before Parliament's even begun.”

[fanfan]

Canada Ping!

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[MarxSux]

"dismantling of federal powers". I like the sound of that! I want to see more of that here south of the border.

[moonman]

"...Conservative minority beholden to the Bloc would lead to the dismantling of federal powers and a rise in Quebec sovereignty."

Both sound great to me. Lessen (dismantle) some of government over-reaching powers and leave Quebec become their own nation.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

The federal government has used its spending powers to intrude into provincial affairs. They've done an end run around the Constitution, which gives provinces for powers over health, education (and by extension, day care), social programs, municipalities, marriage -- all areas the federal government has intruded into.

The problem stems from the "fiscal imbalance" -- the feds have too much money, and the provinces too little. If the new Conservative government gives the provinces a greater share of revenue -- without attaching all the policy strings -- then Confederation will be working as it was intended.

Those sorts of changes could convince most Québecois to want to stay in the Confederation. Unlike the Liberal approach of pandering to Quebec with special favours (which never worked), westerners will also support this decentralization of powers.

[NorthOf45]

Those sorts of changes could convince most Québecois to want to stay in the Confederation.

I agree. I believe the Conservatives will do more to keep Canada together than the libs ever have or, God forbid, will do.

[Blind Eye Jones]

Maybe Belinda will cross over again if she is offered the new daycare mom & dog catcher portfolio... a good gig she can get it!

[fanfan]

Maybe Belinda will cross over again

...to find a locked door in her path.

:-)

[Sam Gamgee]

Good sign. I imagine that Harper can then come out with a fairly aggressive agenda this spring. Keep his promise to let farmers sell outside of the marketing board. That’s the one I really want to see happen. The Liberals, in any case, would be nuts to bring down the government over anything other than SSM.

[moonman]

thanks for clarifying