Canadian opposition parties set out priorities
Source: Reuters
By Janet Guttsman TORONTO, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Canada's opposition leaders outlined their priorities on spending and the environment on Sunday, but stopped short of saying when they might try to bring the minority Conservative government down. In interviews with CTV television's weekend program "Question Period," the three opposition party leaders said they were ready for an election, which becomes inevitable if opposition parties defeat the government on a matter of confidence like the federal budget. "I don't want an election. I don't think Canadians want an election, but I need to be ready for an election," new Liberal leader Stephane Dion told CTV. "But if the budget is unacceptable for Canadians, I cannot stand up and vote for something that I think will not be good for the country." The Liberals, tainted by a scandal that centered on the abuse of government funds, lost power to the Conservatives in Canada's last federal election in January. But they are still the largest opposition party in Parliament. Dion, elected party leader earlier this month, is focusing on the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental issues. He says he will cut taxes only if the economy is strong enough. Those are different priorities from those of the separatist Bloc Quebecois, which wants the Conservatives to do more for Quebec when it distributes money to Canada's provinces. Bloc Quebecois party leader Gilles Duceppe said his support from the government would depend partly on whether the Conservatives followed through with their spending promises. He said Quebec, which he described as more environmentally friendly than other Canadian provinces, should not have to pay to help other parts of Canada foot the bill to meet its commitments under the Kyoto treaty on global warming. "We're asking a territorial approach," he said. The Bloc Quebecois campaigns only in Quebec, but is still the second-largest opposition party in Parliament. It is the federal wing of the pro-independence Parti Quebecois, which has already lost two referendums on whether the French-speaking province should break away from Canada. Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper has recently been seeking support from the left-wing New Democratic Party, at first sight an unlikely political ally. NDP leader Jack Layton told CTV that his party was ready for an election, but was also prepared to do what was needed to avoid an early vote. "We take a very pragmatic approach to it and that's what we'll do this time," he said. "It's clear that Mr. Harper is taking the country in a very wrong direction, and our job is to press him to change."
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