OTTAWA – The Liberals are moving a non-confidence motion on the government. The motion is not on the federal budget, which the Liberal leader states he can not support. The motion of non-confidence in on the contempt ruling by the speaker of the House of Commons.
With the Harper government facing a contempt vote in Parliament, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff gave notice today that he will be moving a non-confidence motion against the government. “Liberals can no longer support a government that misleads Canadians, breaks the rules and weakens our democracy,” charges Ignatieff. “The Conservative government has misled the House and all Canadians by hiding the details of their core spending priorities from Parliament – and it means we can’t trust their budget numbers.”
The Liberal motion being placed on the Order Paper today for a vote in the House on Friday states:
“That the House agrees with the finding of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs that the Government is in contempt of Parliament, which is unprecedented in Canadian Parliamentary history, and consequently, the House has lost confidence in the Government.”
“Stephen Harper must be held accountable for a pattern of abuse of power, attacks on democracy, and contempt for Parliament and the Canadian people,” said Ignatieff.
“The Conservative budget has no credibility, since they continue to hide the costs of their biggest spending priorities. How can any progressive MP support a government that ignores Canadian families and instead ‘stays the course’ on $6 billion in tax breaks for large corporations, a $30-billion untendered stealth fighter deal and $13 billion for U.S.-style mega-prisons? The Liberal Party will stand up to Stephen Harper and tell him that he doesn’t make the rules, Canadians do, and it’s not the ‘Harper Government’ it’s the Government of Canada,” concluded Ignatieff.