THE CONSERVATIVE HIPSTERS
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
POLITICS AS USUAL: WHITE NOISE FROM THE THRONE
Well, at least Her Royalness
finally came in handy yesterday. She read the goverment's Speech From the Throne". Hey--she actually did the job she's paid to do!
How about that Speech, eh? About as exciting and bold as the Corn Bran I had for breakfast this morning.
"Your government promises to do the things your government promised during the election and that your government didn't quite get around to from the budget in February. Please excuse their tardiness"
Unsuprisingly, the media are foaming at the mouth over what will happen with the Opposition amendments likely to be tabled. Here's a piece of another one from Ibbitson at the Globe:
"Traditionally, the Official Opposition would move an amendment to the motion, lamenting Her Excellency's failure to endorse the opposition agenda in her remarks. That amendment would be defeated, proving that the government enjoys the confidence of the House, and away we would go.
The Conservatives have come up with a trick. They plan to introduce an amendment that they believe the Liberals will have no choice but to support. Sources say the amendment will propose that tax cuts for low-income Canadians be added to the Throne Speech's agenda. The Bloc will move a subamendment of its own, probably related to employment insurance. The NDP, which doesn't have enough votes to determine the issue one way or another, is expected to support the government.
What matters is the Conservative amendment. If the Liberals decide to accept and adopt it in order to avoid possible defeat in the House, then the Tories and the Bloc will have succeeded in forcing the government to make the opposition's priorities its own.
Should the Liberals oppose the amendment, then the fate of the government hangs in the balance. If, as expected, Bloc members support the Conservative amendment, then it could pass. In the opinion of Don Boudria, who was Liberal House leader in the Chrétien years, that would constitute a vote of no-confidence and the government would fall. It would then be up to the Governor-General to decide whether to give Stephen Harper a chance to form a government or to dissolve Parliament and call a general election."
Whatever will they do?
# posted by Anonymous : 9:25 a.m.
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