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Layton's NDP support for EI Reform could avoid Election

by albertacowpoke | September 14, 2009 at 06:12 pm

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The Canadian Parliament resumed its fall session today. During the summer recess there has been much talk, especially by Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, that the government would be defeated. The Liberals stated that they would no longer support the Conservative Government.

In order to defeat the Government, none of the three opposition parties can do it on their own. The Conservatives hold 144 seats (155 needed for a majority). The Liberals only hold 77 seats.

Human Resources Minister, Diane Finlay, announced proposed legislation that would extend the eligibility for Employment Insurance from 5 to 20 weeks. This reform to EI is estimated to cost 934 Million Dollars.

Both the New Democratic Party and the Liberal Party have pushed for this reform.

The Leader of the New Democratic Party, Jack Layton, signaled today that his party may be able to support the reform legislation.

"The announcement today appears to be a step in the right direction," Layton said in a prepared statement to reporters following question period. "There is much more that needs to be done as well.

"Our preference remains fighting for the unemployed rather than fighting for a second election," he said.

But Layton warned that his party had no intention of giving the government a "blank cheque" and that it will be studying the bill "very, very carefully."

NDP Leader Jack Layton suggested on Monday that the Conservative proposal to extend employment insurance for long-tenured workers could be enough to garner support from his party and stave off an election.

"The announcement today appears to be a step in the right direction," Layton said in a prepared statement to reporters following question period. "There is much more that needs to be done as well.

"Our preference remains fighting for the unemployed rather than fighting for a second election," he said.

But Layton warned that his party had no intention of giving the government a "blank cheque" and that it will be studying the bill "very, very carefully."

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The_Cynic

at 22:49 on September 14th, 2009

"Our preference remains fighting for the unemployed rather than fighting for a second election," he said.

That is how an opposition should act.

albertacowpoke

at 01:05 on September 15th, 2009

Could it be that it has nothing to do with how an opposition party should act? A man who boasted that he voted against 19 some odd bills the Conservative party put forward without even reading them, is now prepared to prop up the government. Of course in the past he was assured that a deranged Liberal Party didn't want an election. With his numbers slipping maybe, just maybe, Jack Layton sees his fortunes falling.

A new poll, done exclusively for Canwest News Service and Global National, shows that NDP support has dropped to 12% while Conservative support is at 39%. The Liberals were the choice of 30% of 1,001 voters polled over the weekend. The pollster, Ipsos-Reid, says the results are accurate to within three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.