Canada govt survival in play over Afghanistan
Source: Reuters
By Randall Palmer OTTAWA, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The opposition Bloc Quebecois party raised the possibility on Monday of trying to topple the minority Conservative government early next year over Canada's mission in Afghanistan. The Bloc, the third largest party in Parliament, said it might try to get the House of Commons to declare non-confidence in the government unless it puts more emphasis on reconstruction in Afghanistan and less on security. "Maybe if the government refuses to change its mind on that, it is possible that the Bloc will use a confidence motion against the government," Michel Gauthier, the Bloc's House leader, told reporters. He also said his party, dedicated to independence for the French-speaking province of Quebec, was also considering one or more confidence motions over what it sees as government inaction on climate change and on the amount of money the federal government gives to the provinces. "It's looking for a reason to make the government fall," mused Liberal leader Stephane Dion, who was elected on Dec. 2 as head of Canada's largest opposition party. Dion opposes the current mission, even though the previous Liberal government sent troops to Afghanistan, but he said he would study any motion before deciding whether to bring the government down. "We will judge the motion on its merits. We don't want to rush the country into an election -- in any case not in the middle of winter," he said. His party leads the Conservatives in the polls but he has said he wants time to marshal his forces. Traditionally Canadians do not go the polls in winter, though the last election was held in January 2006. Gauthier made it clear the Bloc would take no action this week, after which Parliament adjourns until Jan. 29. With only 51 of the 308 seats in the House, the Bloc would have to have the support at least of the 102 Liberals to have a hope of defeating Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government. Even then the government would probably be able to survive if the left-leaning New Democratic Party and at least one of two independent members of Parliament backed it. The Conservatives have 124 and the NDP has 29 seats. The NDP has lost serious ground in the polls to the Liberal Party and may hesitate to jeopardize its current standing in Parliament, but opposition to the Afghan mission has been one of its defining issues. NDP leader Jack Layton said he would have to see any motion before deciding how to vote. But he told reporters: "We have never had confidence in Mr. Harper's approach to this foreign policy matter. We've said so and we've voted accordingly and it would not be a surprise to Canadians to have us continue on that path."
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