>> I'm introducing you today to michael ignatieff, the liberal leader. ignatieff will speak for about ten to twelve minutes and take questions for about 25 minutes. Mr. igtieff, over to you.
>> The Hon. Michael Ignatieff: Thanks, mr. brennan. Good morning. Bonjour.
>> (Voice of Translator): LET Me start by saying that the liberal party does not want -- it wants parliament to work. We want to replace confrontation with cooperation, but in order to do that, the prime minister must be accountable. That is what canadians expect of their government.
>> The Hon. Michael Ignatieff: -- By telling canadians that the libel party is not seeking an election. We want parliament to work. We want to replace confrontation with cooperation, but we need the prime minister to deliver the accountability that canadians expect from their government. We're here this morning to provide the liberal party's response to the government's second accountability report. And let's remember why the government has to submit accountability reports in the first place. The government's full economic statement was a serious error of judgment. It offered no help for the economy and it triggered a political crisis. The government lost the confidence of the house, the prime minister escaped defeat only by proroguing parliament. He was then forced by the opposition to come back to the house with a budget.
[00:03:40]
>> (Voice of Translator): HIS Fall economic update was a serious mistake in judgment. It made no provision for recovery and resulted in a political crisis. The government lost the confidence of the house. The prime minister avoided defeat, only because he prorogued parliament. The opposition then forced him to come forward with a new budget when the house resumed.
>> The Hon. Michael Ignatieff: My party voted for that budget because it promised to get needed stimulus into the economy, and it did so within a fiscal framework that we could live with. But after what the country lived through, particularly that political crisis, we demanded that parliament submit regular reports on its regular performance. The government submitted its second report last thursday. Now, there are two other parties that rejected both the budget and the report before giving it any kind of serious attention. So the idea that we are in coalition with these parties is simply false. There is no coalition. and the bloc, parties of permanent opposition, we've been a party of government, and we hope one day when we secure the confidence of the people to be a party of government again. So we can't afford to behave irresponsibly. We listened to the prime minister, studied the report, and consulted with canadians, and we have serious questions about this report and about the government's performance.
>>> The government came forward with its second report last thursday. Two other parties rejected both the budget and the report before having read them. Sohe idea that there is a coalition with these parties is false. There is no coalition, unlike and the bloc quebecois which are only ever in opposition, we have been in power and we hope to be in power once again. However, we cannot allow ourselves to act irresponsibly. We have listened to the prime minister, we have studied his report, and we have consulted canadians. This report on the government's actions leads to a number of questions.
[00:06:11]
>> The Hon. Michael Ignatieff: For months, we have been asking the government to do something t remedy the regional variations ineligibility, to lower eligibility requirements would make the system fairer and help to get help to the canadians who need it most. It's also the best immediate stimulus. Several provincial premiers have already agreed with us.
James Morton
1100-5255 Yonge Street
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1 comment:
Who set up these regional variations and defended them in the first place?
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