Iggy flops [i]again[/i]

Goat Boy© · September 17, 2009

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianp...MmsltrdvQgN1mpA

Liberals offer to speed EI bill
By Joan Bryden (CP) – 7 minutes ago

OTTAWA — The Liberals have offered to speed passage of Tory EI legislation, hoping to rob the NDP of its rationale for propping up the Harper government.

The Liberals proposed Thursday that the bill - worth up to $1 billion in extended employment insurance benefits for about 190,000 long-term workers - be whisked through all stages of the legislative process in the House of Commons by Friday.

That would all but ensure the Liberal-dominated Senate could give the green light to the bill before the first week of October. That's when the Liberals intend to introduce a motion of non-confidence in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's minority Conservative government.

The move is clearly designed to embarrass NDP Leader Jack Layton, who has said his party will prop up the government at least until the EI reforms are implemented.

"We don't want to give Mr. Layton any alibis," Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said.

Most bills take months to wend their way through the legislative process in both houses of Parliament.

Although Liberals believe the EI bill "falls radically short of serious employment insurance reform," Ignatieff said they want to expedite its passage.

"We're not going to hold it up. Let's get it through and get to the motion of non-confidence which we will bring forward in due time."

The Bloc Quebecois also proposed speeding up passage of the bill, although at not quite as fast a pace as Liberals want. The Bloc suggested it be sent without preliminary debate to a Commons committee for examination.

The Conservatives have arranged a meeting of all party House leaders to see if a consensus can be found to expedite the bill.

Layton has said he doesn't want to see any foot-dragging on the EI reforms. But the NDP wants time to go through the bill carefully at committee, including hearing from expert witnesses, to ensure it lives up to its advance billing.

Some critics, including labour unions usually allied with the NDP, have complained that only a tiny fraction of long-term workers will actually be eligible for extended benefits.

Even if all parties reach consensus on expediting the bill, it's doubtful it could be passed before the Liberal non-confidence motion is put to a vote.

Parliament is not sitting next week while Harper attends a G20 summit in Pittsburgh, leaving only a week to whisk the bill through both the Commons and Senate.

Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Topaz · September 17, 2009

I was listening to Michael Savage, Lib., in the debates today, and he said that the Tories were the ones not debating in good faith on IE this summer and that the Minister wasn't there , and she sent her parl sec. instead and every ideas they had was rejected and when they asked questions they minister sent word she didn't have to answer! The Libs have shown that it wouldn't cost the 4 Bil. the Tories said it would and we all know that the Tories are trustworthy on what they say. I suggest that Canadians should watch more of these debates on C-Pac and that the Libs should hold a new conference of what really went down on these talks of EI this past summer.

fellowtraveller · September 17, 2009

I was listening to Michael Savage, Lib., in the debates today, and he said that the Tories were the ones not debating in good faith on IE this summer and that the Minister wasn't there , and she sent her parl sec. instead and every ideas they had was rejected and when they asked questions they minister sent word she didn't have to answer! The Libs have shown that it wouldn't cost the 4 Bil. the Tories said it would and we all know that the Tories are trustworthy on what they say. I suggest that Canadians should watch more of these debates on C-Pac and that the Libs should hold a new conference of what really went down on these talks of EI this past summer.

I don't think it will happen, because Ignatieff will have to explain how he is now 'going down' on Harper instead of what 'went down'.

Dave_ON · September 17, 2009

Actually that's a really smart move on Ignatieff's part. If the only reason the NDP are supporting the CPC is to see this motion pass they will have no reason to vote against the confidence motion in October. It will force the NDP to continue to support the CPC in spite of their principles or vote for an election come October.

The pressure is really being put on the NDP to put their money where their mouth has been for the last year. Let's see if they have the wherewithal to do so.

FYI you probably don't want to copy and paste an entire article as the mods don't like that.

Moonbox · September 17, 2009

I thought that Layton's posturing was actually helpful to the Liberals. Now they're definetly going have to back up their election bluster. They're not going to win the next election so what on Earth is the point in one? I guess they want to call one now before the economy fully recovers. If Harper leads the country out of recession and can work on the debt, he'll have a strong following. The Liberals don't want to give him that chance.

Shakeyhands · September 17, 2009

I thought that Layton's posturing was actually helpful to the Liberals. Now they're definetly going have to back up their election bluster. They're not going to win the next election so what on Earth is the point in one? I guess they want to call one now before the economy fully recovers. If Harper leads the country out of recession and can work on the debt, he'll have a strong following. The Liberals don't want to give him that chance.

Harper isn't "leading" anything, you know as well as everyone else here that our recovery will be based on the US recovery. The best we could hope for from the Haper Gov't is help with easing the pain of this surrent situation, a task he has fallen well short of so far, once again showing his true colours.

M.Dancer · September 17, 2009

Harper isn't "leading" anything, you know as well as everyone else here that our recovery will be based on the US recovery.

Is that why our recovery is ahead of the US recovery, that our recession wasn't as deep as the US resession?

fellowtraveller · September 17, 2009

Actually that's a really smart move on Ignatieff's part. If the only reason the NDP are supporting the CPC is to see this motion pass they will have no reason to vote against the confidence motion in October. It will force the NDP to continue to support the CPC in spite of their principles or vote for an election come October.
The pressure is really being put on the NDP to put their money where their mouth has been for the last year. Let's see if they have the wherewithal to do so.

FYI you probably don't want to copy and paste an entire article as the mods don't like that.

No, it was a completely unnecessary move by Igantieff and will further damage the Liberals. The NDP aren't backing Harper because they like the EI bill, it has little of the sweeping reform they have been demanding. They are backing the Tories because the NDP cannot afford an election right now, they need to delay for 3 months until they get their annual stipend from Elections Canada. They are also way down in the polls and would get hammered right now.

When Ignatieff proclaimed (last week?) that he would not support the Tpories again, he should ave gained a few points for shwoing some spine, while taking little risk because he knows that the NDP cannot call the bluff and bring down Harper.

Now, Ignatieff has squandered all of it by flip flopping so quickly- and he didn't have to.......

fellowtraveller · September 17, 2009

Is that why our recovery is ahead of the US recovery, that our recession wasn't as deep as the US resession?

There are some signs in the West that the worst may be over, time will tell.

Oil ahs recovered to tolerable levels.

Real Estate, which led the recession, is now bouncing back both for new and resale homes.

Joblessness is one of the last things to suffer and one of the last to recover, we may be in that phase.

punked · September 17, 2009

HAHAHAHA I was just about to post this Flippy Flop. So funny.

Shakeyhands · September 17, 2009

Is that why our recovery is ahead of the US recovery, that our recession wasn't as deep as the US resession?

Yes... all thanks to Steve. Phppt.

waldo · September 17, 2009

HAHAHAHA I was just about to post this Flippy Flop. So funny.

the stated reasoning is provided... to expedite passage. With the NDP having given intent to support the Conservatives, the Liberal vote against carried insufficient weight - so there's no personal party advantage for the Liberals in voting for the EI reform... other than to help expedite passage.

clearly, we'll see if there is a real flip-flop in the making... you/the NDP can now fall back on your free-ride express and save your principled posturing. Will you/the NDP flip... flop?

Alta4ever · September 17, 2009

Yes... all thanks to Steve. Phppt.

If you like you could thank mulrooney it was his government that wrote the banking act.

M.Dancer · September 17, 2009

Yes... all thanks to Steve. Phppt.

Of course not. Flaherty played the major role.

punked · September 17, 2009

the stated reasoning is provided... to expedite passage. With the NDP having given intent to support the Conservatives, the Liberal vote against carried insufficient weight - so there's no personal party advantage for the Liberals in voting for the EI reform... other than to help expedite passage.
clearly, we'll see if there is a real flip-flop in the making... you/the NDP can now fall back on your free-ride express and save your principled posturing. Will you/the NDP flip... flop?

I don't see the Iggy Flip Flop in the NDP sorry the Liberals were wrong to oppose the help to 190,000 workers for the Liberal parties gain. It was wrong the NDP knew it and Canada knew it look at the poll numbers. Remember the Liberals make decisions based on poll numbers not what is right for Canada.

M.Dancer · September 17, 2009

I don't see the Iggy Flip Flop in the NDP sorry the Liberals were wrong to oppose the help to 190,000 workers for the Liberal parties gain. It was wrong the NDP knew it and Canada knew it look at the poll numbers. Remember the Liberals make decisions based on poll numbers not what is right for Canada.

What the NDP (Layton) really knew was they would lose seats....

waldo · September 17, 2009

Of course not. Flaherty played the major role.

oh certainly! ... the leprechaun said there wouldn't be a recession... then he said it would "be mild" with a "small deficit"... then he launched successive budget forecasts across the map, ever increasing... 35Billion, 50Billion, 56Billion. A major role, indeed!

M.Dancer · September 17, 2009

oh certainly! ... the leprechaun said there wouldn't be a recession... then he said it would "be mild" with a "small deficit"... then he launched successive budget forecasts across the map, ever increasing... 35Billion, 50Billion, 56Billion. A major role, indeed!

Is the recession over?

Thank you...

punked · September 17, 2009

What the NDP (Layton) really knew was they would lose seats....

Nope they knew that they will take any sort of help for 190,000 workers and Canadians saw that as a good thing so Iggy had to get his face in there.

Alta4ever · September 17, 2009

Who threatened to form a coalition if the government didn't go into deficit spending? Who said the government wasn't doing enough, and now is screaming too much? Who has asked and stated the government isn't doing enough on each budget tabled, but complains about deficit spending?

waldo · September 17, 2009

Is the recession over?
Thank you...

is it? Please post a Bank of Canada pronouncement... their last one advising same was quite well received, wasn't it?

M.Dancer · September 17, 2009

is it? Please post a Bank of Canada pronouncement... their last one advising same was quite well received, wasn't it?

The recession ended in July/august. We are in the recovery stage now. It matter not how it was received.

fellowtraveller · September 17, 2009

so there's no personal party advantage for the Liberals in voting for the EI reform... other than to help expedite passage.

The Liberal vote is completely unnecessary and irrelevant for passage in the House, so 'expedite passage' makes no sense. If they want to expedite passage in the Senate, Iggy just has to make a phone call, not perform an embarassing and transparent flip flop.

fellowtraveller · September 17, 2009

If you like you could thank mulrooney it was his government that wrote the banking act.

The Bank Act was first formulated in about 1870.

I give credit to all parties and govts since for maintaining and strengthening it.

Dave_ON · September 17, 2009

Nope they knew that they will take any sort of help for 190,000 workers and Canadians saw that as a good thing so Iggy had to get his face in there.

Well if the bill is expedited the NDP will have no reason to continue supporting the CPC, yet strangely they will and no doubt find an even flimsier excuse to do so. Please explain how the CPC's plan is even remotely close to what the NDP were asking for. Like I said this isn't the least bit about principles and every bit about not being prepared for an election. Funny how Layton's tune changes when he doesn't have the LPC to take the fall for proping up the CPC.