So the NDP is wheeling and dealing. In exchange for propping up the government they want to cancel the corporate tax cuts and have the Federal Government kick back some more money to the Ontario Government.
..."If he's willing to take some of the surplus, if he's willing to reduce the corporate tax cut and invest it now, then we don't have to have an election,” Mr. Layton told reporters. “Then we could talk about supporting the government.”
...“I think I can say it would be highly unlikely our party would support a non-confidence motion right now,” Mr. Layton said. “We're taking it a day at a time, a week at a time.”
...“If the budget were changed so that people's actual needs in their families were addressed, that opens the door for a continuation of the House of Commons and this particular Parliament,” he said.
“That door is slammed shut by virtue of Paul Martin's complete intransigence when it comes to these issues. He wants to give money to his corporate friends.”
This brings up many questions but the first one is, can he actual do this?
The seats do not stand where they were on election day. Here is how they stand today.
Liberal: 132
Conservative: 99
Bloc Quebecois: 54
New Democrat: 19
Independent: 3 (Chuck Cadman, Carolyn Parrish, David Kilgour)
Vacant: 1
Together the Liberals and New Democrats have 151 seats. The Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois have 153. For a non-confidence bill to fail Carolyn Parrish and David Kilgour would have to support the government and Chuck Cadman abstain or support the government as well. I doubt he would support the government but unless I am wrong MP Cadman is ill and has not been attending Parliament. So it would come down to MPs Parrish and Kilgour. Could you imagine survived by a tie with NDP support!
The next question is to whether or not this is a good strategy for the NDP? NDP Leader Layton gains his "central role in the government" but does some Adscam damage taint him as well? All to stick it to corporations (o.k. and to bridge the "fiscal imbalance" in Ontario).
Also this confirms that the Liberals will indeed do and say anything to hold onto power (in this case, can you blame them). The Prime Minister has already sold out the homosexual lobby to keep MP Pat O'Brien in the caucas and maintain the above math. Now they are selling out their traditional donaters in the corporate world (with campaign reform they are not as valuable as they used to be). It gets more interesting everyday.
Update: I noticed that Andrew Coyne is all over this as well.
...Naturally, Layton's "furious" at the allegations that public money was used to bolster the Liberals' political fortunes in Quebec. Far better it should be used buying seats for the NDP in Ontario.
...WAIT A MINUTE: Weren't the NDP just in bed with the Conservatives? Or was it the Conservatives who were in bed with the Bloc? It's like Melrose Place over there.
