Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government will table its third “report card” on the federal budget and the economy as early as Friday as the Tories try to weaken the resolve of the Opposition Liberals to take the country to the polls to this fall.
The release of the report card will be tied to government legislation to implement the popular home-renovation tax credit. Both the report card and the home-renovation tax credit legislation are triggers for a confidence vote. If Harper's minority government fails to win the support of at least one opposition party, the country will be headed to its 41st general election – the fourth vote in five years – this fall.
Still, the first opportunity for a confidence vote is at least two weeks away, on Sept. 28, and until then, each party will be negotiating its way through a volatile political situation.
The Liberals unveiled two new television ads Sunday, as MPs prepared to return to the House of Commons on Monday for the first time since June 19.
In the new English ad, Ignatieff notes that nearly half-a-million Canadians don't have jobs now who had them last fall. He promises to “do better” by restructuring the workforce. The French ad begins with Ignatieff reminding viewers that he has worked abroad and says that kind of global view is important for Canada to succeed.
The Conservatives, for their part, began airing an ad last week that tries to suggest Ignatieff still harbours designs to lead a coalition government with the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois, a charge Ignatieff rejected.
The political skirmishes come ahead of a busy week in the House of Commons … [Read the rest of the story]
Talk about a biased reporter. The ad doesn't”try to suggest”. It states loud and clear that Iggy wants to lead the coalition. Rejected? When did he state this . What has changed that would cause this Dion wannabe to change his position?
If you can't report the facts, please switch to the gossip column.
How come no link to the Conservative ad?