Canada opposition gives ultimatum to government

Monday, June 15, 2009 at 10:29 PM Posted by Beijing News


Canada's largest opposition party said on Monday it was prepared to bring down the government later this week unless it received details of planned improvements to the jobless benefits system.

The House of Commons is due to vote on budget estimates this Friday and if all three opposition parties vote against the financial measures, the minority Conservative government will be defeated and Canada will head to its fourth election in just over five years.

Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff -- who has been openly mulling whether to defeat the Conservatives over their handling of the economic crisis -- said the government's performance had not been good enough.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said last week said he would bring in unspecified improvements to the Employment Insurance system later this year.

Ignatieff -- who says the benefits should be paid out faster and to more people -- insisted on seeing Harper's proposals soon.

"I am demanding that he present his proposals ... I want him to present them now, or in the coming days, and I will judge them according to whether or not they help the unemployed," he told a news conference.

He added: "I am ready to vote against the estimates on Friday."

Opinion polls show the Liberals slightly ahead of the Conservatives, but they do not have enough backing to guarantee an election victory.

Polls also show there is very little public enthusiasm for what would be a rare summer election.

Reporting by David Ljunggren and Louise Egan; editing by Rob Wilson





Piermont

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)