- Brian Rice photo From calling it "Harper's Sales Tax" to now supporting Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government closure motion on the Harmonized Sales Tax legislation, the federal Liberal Party under Michael Ignatieff has gone into the rough faster than Tiger Woods!
As CBC Politics' Kady O'Malley reports, the Liberals have switched from fighting the HST to backing an outrageous closure motion by the Conservatives to end debate on the biggest transfer of money from consumers to big business this country has ever seen.
"The government brought down the hammer earlier today: with the help of just enough Liberals to get the job done, they managed to pass that double-barreled closure-on-closure -- in case you've lost track, that's the one to shut down debate on the motion to impose time allocation on the HST bill, which goes to second reading tomorrow morning, and third reading tentatively scheduled for Wednesday evening," O'Malley says.
Despite this, Liberal MP Keith Martin of BC's Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca riding, insists he will not be present for the vote because he opposes the HST.
As O'Malley reports, Martin: "described the government's attempt to "ram" the legislation through the House as "a sham" and "a mockery of democracy" -- and announced that he, for one, wasn't going to be there to bear witness.
As CBC Politics' Kady O'Malley reports, the Liberals have switched from fighting the HST to backing an outrageous closure motion by the Conservatives to end debate on the biggest transfer of money from consumers to big business this country has ever seen.
"The government brought down the hammer earlier today: with the help of just enough Liberals to get the job done, they managed to pass that double-barreled closure-on-closure -- in case you've lost track, that's the one to shut down debate on the motion to impose time allocation on the HST bill, which goes to second reading tomorrow morning, and third reading tentatively scheduled for Wednesday evening," O'Malley says.
Despite this, Liberal MP Keith Martin of BC's Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca riding, insists he will not be present for the vote because he opposes the HST.
As O'Malley reports, Martin: "described the government's attempt to "ram" the legislation through the House as "a sham" and "a mockery of democracy" -- and announced that he, for one, wasn't going to be there to bear witness.
"The leader's given me permission," he explained to reporters -- which, as far as he's concerned, was a wise move. "That's just the way it's going to be. I'm not supporting the HST and I will not be here to vote for it. Period. End of story."
I applaud Keith Martin's opposition - for which he will no doubt be punished - but the real story is that the federal Liberals are not only supporting the HST, they are even shamelessly supporting closure on debate on the HST!
Presumably they are afraid of the consequences of voters in BC and Ontario hearing about their HST surrender through an extended debate - since only the NDP are opposing the HST legislation - but to back the Harper Conservatives on closure as well is simply unbelievable.
Count the days - Count Iggy's rule as leader is coming to an ignominious end soon.
.
5 comments:
It matters not that Martin was absent from the vote. He should have completely defied party lines and been in the house to vote "nay".
Any candidate that doesn't vote no or isn't there to vote no has lost all the confidence of the people of BC and Ontario.
Even the Bloc has shown Canadians that they don't care what happens to the rest of the country. They could have supported us. What did they get from this? Retroactive payment? Disgusting.
Money talks and most politicians tend to go where the money is. They don't seem to care that we will be paying extra for so many things that were exempt, or that the province no longer will be controlling its own sales tax rate. But the money will come in handy to be used on items Gordo and crew want to spend it on. It won't be going to the average citizen for sure.
Federal Liberals = Federal Conservatives
Wake up oldsters the landscape has changed.
Anon 12:41,
That's the problem: the federal Conservatives aren't really the Conservatives -- they're the REFORM Party of Preston Manning and Tom Flanagan.
And the BC Liberals aren't Liberals either, they're ... oh, you already filled in the blank? ... Socred/REFORM.
So who's in bed with whom? and doing what?
Keith Martin is a weenie with no balls.
He, along with the rest of the Liberals that said no to the HST than flip flopped to support it have no credibility and should have their asses kicked come the next election.
Nothing short of a popular citizen uprising with some civil disobedience thrown in will change this outcome.
Change does not come from the bottom not the top.
Unfortunately Canadians don't have the intestinal fortitude to carry out the necessary blood letting to make anything happen.
Post a Comment