At the conclusion of Question Period today, Speaker Peter Milliken rose to call for a vote on a motion that called for the Senate to pass the a crime bill that had already been passed by the House. The motion had been declared a confidence motion by Stephen Harper and the Conservatives. The Liberals were having none of this “false crisis” created by Harper. So they walked out, leaving the Bloc Quebecois to vote with the Government and the NDP to vote against. With his caucus standing behind him, Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale stood at a microphone outside the doors of the House of Commons and explained why they took the dramatic action they did:
Goodale: Hi everyone. I just have a, a few short remarks and then be happy to take your questions.
Liberals are boycotting this current vote on the Conservative message to the Senate on bill C-2. We said last week that we have no intention of allowing the government to defeat itself on this vote. Their motion is a trick to provoke an artificial crisis and we're simply not going to play their game. Liberals have been dealing seriously with crime legislation. It is a serious subject. That's why back in 2006, we offered to fast track 70% of the government's justice legislation. They rejected our offer. They'd rather have an argument than get the job done.
In 2007, much of that legislation was well advanced, in fact, a good portion of it in the Senate. But the government chose then to prorogue, to kill it all and to start all over again. Why? Again, to perpetuate the illusion of ongoing parliamentary delay. Again, they would rather have an argument than get the job done. Now, with this motion, we're seeing more of the same. The Senate has had about three weeks to deal with C-2 so far. They've moved it through second reading. They put it in their Justice Committee and they've now agreed to extend its sitting hours and additional sitting days. Clearly, there is no filibuster and no delay.
But beyond bill C-2, which we supported in the House, Liberals want more action on effective crime fighting. That's why we have called for more police officers on our streets, better coordination between all governments and law enforcement agencies to fight organized, better police access to new technologies, more Crown attorneys to speed up prosecutions and partnerships with community based organizations to fight the root causes of crime like poverty, illiteracy and addictions. The Liberal approach is sound and reasonable. If you want to see bare faced stalling tactics in Parliament, look at this government trying to kill bills in the Senate on foreign aid and on the Kelowna Accord and look at their ongoing filibuster in the House Procedure Committee to block an investigation of Conservative financial violations under the Canada Elections Act.