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Blueprint for an election
The plan: Broad tax cuts; Strengthen Arctic sovereignty; Kill off Kyoto; Extend Afghan mission to 2011
BRIAN LAGHI
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
October 17, 2007 at 2:33 AM EDT
OTTAWA — Broad tax cuts, tough-on-crime legislation and the desire for a two-year extension of the Afghanistan military mission form the core of Stephen Harper's new governing agenda, which could double as a fall campaign blueprint.
In a Speech from the Throne richer in policy content than expected, the Tory government also promised Tuesday to unveil new measures to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, apologize for residential school abuses, find money for infrastructure and require people who wear veils to uncover their faces to vote.
But the speech also tried to navigate clear of controversial issues in an apparent effort to assuage concerns that Mr. Harper has a hidden agenda.
Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, in whose hands the future of the government rests, said he had difficulty with much of the speech – particularly its “shocking indifference” to poverty and a lack of commitment to the environment.
However, he said Canadians are tired of elections and pledged to give his final verdict Wednesday. The Throne Speech is a confidence matter that could kill the minority government.
“Canadians want this Parliament to work. They don't want a third election in three years and a half, so we'll have a real lively caucus tomorrow,” he said.
The NDP and the Bloc Québécois immediately signalled that they would oppose the bill to implement the speech.
“This sends Canada in the wrong direction,” NDP Leader Jack Layton said while the speech was still being read in the Senate.
BQ Leader Gilles Duceppe also blasted the speech, saying the environmental program is designed to please the United States. “This doesn't meet the conditions that we had presented.”
The speech was a plan to launch a second phase for the Tory government, which has exhausted its original five priorities.
“Now is the time to continue building a better Canada,” said the text, which Governor-General Michaëlle Jean read over the supper hour.
“Our government will focus on five clear priorities: strengthening Canada's sovereignty and place in the world; building a stronger federation; providing effective economic leadership; continuing to tackle crime and improving our environment.”
If the government survives, a future flashpoint will probably be a new omnibus bill covering crime. That legislation will include measures on stricter bail, dangerous offenders and strengthening the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
“In the last session, our government introduced important and timely legislation to tackle violent crime. Unfortunately much of this legislation did not pass,” the speech said. “That is not good enough to maintain the confidence of Canadians.”
On Afghanistan, the speech says Canada should shift its emphasis in the Kandahar region to a training role so that the Afghan government can defend its own sovereignty.
The government, which has struck a blue-ribbon advisory committee on the matter, also believes that the objective is achievable by 2011, an extra two years.
“Our government does not believe that Canada should simply abandon the people of Afghanistan after February, 2009.”
Mr. Dion called the idea vague.
On the environment, the government committed to following through with requirements for carbon emission reductions and the establishment of a carbon emissions trading market.
“Our government believes strongly that an effective global approach to greenhouse-gas emissions must have binding targets that apply to all major emitters, including Canada.”
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said the environmental proposals are too vague to defeat the government on.
Other key portions of the speech include efforts to woo Quebec votes, such as a promise for legislation that would restrict the government's power to spend in areas of provincial legislation.
The government has also pledged to strengthen measures to confirm the visual identification of voters.
The commitment comes after Canada's chief electoral officer refused to put into place laws that would have compelled the removal of veils during the recent Quebec by-elections.
The government also promised to follow through with a campaign plank to cut the GST by another percentage point.
The speech earned plaudits from native leaders for a pledge to apologize for residential schools abuses and will use the final settlement with victims to “make a statement of apology to close this sad chapter in our history.”
One academic said the Throne Speech needs to carry the party toward the next election.
“What this Throne Speech really signals, I think, is the second dimension to the Tory mandate,” said David Mitchell, a political historian at Queen's University in Kingston. “This has got to be the equivalent of their election manifesto.”
At a caucus meeting Tuesday, most Liberal MPs said they were inclined to let the Throne Speech pass, as long as it did not contain a blatant poison pill.
While a few MPs were spoiling for a fight, most thought that the Liberals should vote against it only if it contained very objectionable provisions that could be easily explained to voters.
With reports from Daniel Leblanc, Bill Curry, Gloria Galloway and Campbell Clark
--------------------------------------------------------------
In my opinion it was kind of vague, and appeared to rehash a number of items that the Conservatives could not get through last time around. That being said, Layton and the bug-eyed guy from Quebec appear to be ready to vote against this, leaving Dion as the unlucky guy to prop up the government, or to bring it down.
Okay kids, let's start the rumination and speculation.
The plan: Broad tax cuts; Strengthen Arctic sovereignty; Kill off Kyoto; Extend Afghan mission to 2011
BRIAN LAGHI
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
October 17, 2007 at 2:33 AM EDT
OTTAWA — Broad tax cuts, tough-on-crime legislation and the desire for a two-year extension of the Afghanistan military mission form the core of Stephen Harper's new governing agenda, which could double as a fall campaign blueprint.
In a Speech from the Throne richer in policy content than expected, the Tory government also promised Tuesday to unveil new measures to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, apologize for residential school abuses, find money for infrastructure and require people who wear veils to uncover their faces to vote.
But the speech also tried to navigate clear of controversial issues in an apparent effort to assuage concerns that Mr. Harper has a hidden agenda.
Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, in whose hands the future of the government rests, said he had difficulty with much of the speech – particularly its “shocking indifference” to poverty and a lack of commitment to the environment.
However, he said Canadians are tired of elections and pledged to give his final verdict Wednesday. The Throne Speech is a confidence matter that could kill the minority government.
“Canadians want this Parliament to work. They don't want a third election in three years and a half, so we'll have a real lively caucus tomorrow,” he said.
The NDP and the Bloc Québécois immediately signalled that they would oppose the bill to implement the speech.
“This sends Canada in the wrong direction,” NDP Leader Jack Layton said while the speech was still being read in the Senate.
BQ Leader Gilles Duceppe also blasted the speech, saying the environmental program is designed to please the United States. “This doesn't meet the conditions that we had presented.”
The speech was a plan to launch a second phase for the Tory government, which has exhausted its original five priorities.
“Now is the time to continue building a better Canada,” said the text, which Governor-General Michaëlle Jean read over the supper hour.
“Our government will focus on five clear priorities: strengthening Canada's sovereignty and place in the world; building a stronger federation; providing effective economic leadership; continuing to tackle crime and improving our environment.”
If the government survives, a future flashpoint will probably be a new omnibus bill covering crime. That legislation will include measures on stricter bail, dangerous offenders and strengthening the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
“In the last session, our government introduced important and timely legislation to tackle violent crime. Unfortunately much of this legislation did not pass,” the speech said. “That is not good enough to maintain the confidence of Canadians.”
On Afghanistan, the speech says Canada should shift its emphasis in the Kandahar region to a training role so that the Afghan government can defend its own sovereignty.
The government, which has struck a blue-ribbon advisory committee on the matter, also believes that the objective is achievable by 2011, an extra two years.
“Our government does not believe that Canada should simply abandon the people of Afghanistan after February, 2009.”
Mr. Dion called the idea vague.
On the environment, the government committed to following through with requirements for carbon emission reductions and the establishment of a carbon emissions trading market.
“Our government believes strongly that an effective global approach to greenhouse-gas emissions must have binding targets that apply to all major emitters, including Canada.”
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said the environmental proposals are too vague to defeat the government on.
Other key portions of the speech include efforts to woo Quebec votes, such as a promise for legislation that would restrict the government's power to spend in areas of provincial legislation.
The government has also pledged to strengthen measures to confirm the visual identification of voters.
The commitment comes after Canada's chief electoral officer refused to put into place laws that would have compelled the removal of veils during the recent Quebec by-elections.
The government also promised to follow through with a campaign plank to cut the GST by another percentage point.
The speech earned plaudits from native leaders for a pledge to apologize for residential schools abuses and will use the final settlement with victims to “make a statement of apology to close this sad chapter in our history.”
One academic said the Throne Speech needs to carry the party toward the next election.
“What this Throne Speech really signals, I think, is the second dimension to the Tory mandate,” said David Mitchell, a political historian at Queen's University in Kingston. “This has got to be the equivalent of their election manifesto.”
At a caucus meeting Tuesday, most Liberal MPs said they were inclined to let the Throne Speech pass, as long as it did not contain a blatant poison pill.
While a few MPs were spoiling for a fight, most thought that the Liberals should vote against it only if it contained very objectionable provisions that could be easily explained to voters.
With reports from Daniel Leblanc, Bill Curry, Gloria Galloway and Campbell Clark
--------------------------------------------------------------
In my opinion it was kind of vague, and appeared to rehash a number of items that the Conservatives could not get through last time around. That being said, Layton and the bug-eyed guy from Quebec appear to be ready to vote against this, leaving Dion as the unlucky guy to prop up the government, or to bring it down.
Okay kids, let's start the rumination and speculation.
