Etobicoke-Lakeshore MP Michael Ignatieff takes over as federal Liberal leader. Etobicoke Guardian file photo
New Liberal leader says coalition stands to defeat government if budget falls short
By TAMARA SHEPHARD
Newly appointed Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff took direct aim at Stephen Harper Wednesday, telling the prime minister to deliver a budget in the “national interest” or face defeat at the hands of the Liberal-NDP coalition.
The Etobicoke-Lakeshore MP said Harper “unleashed a parliamentary crisis” and the “ball is in his court” to regain the trust of parliamentarians and Canadians alike.
After years of internal party strife and three weeks of historic turmoil on Parliament Hill, local Liberal MPs are keeping their fingers crossed that their decision Wednesday to hand the reins to new leader Michael Ignatieff signals the beginning of a return to power.
The party has nose-dived since the days when former prime minister Jean Chretien captured three successive majority governments.
Under beleaguered outgoing leader Stephane Dion, the Liberals lost 19 seats in the Oct. 14 federal election, taking them to their worst share of the popular vote since Confederation.
Party will not necessarily vote government down in January
By MIKE ADLER
Think way back to the first of December.
Liberals and New Democrats signed a pact to oust the Conservatives, divide up cabinet posts and govern Canada.
The Opposition coalition had a plan for the economy that couldn’t wait and Stephen Harper faced defeat, NDP leader Jack Layton declared, “at the earliest opportunity.”
It’s been an eventful past few weeks on the federal political front with the Liberal caucus endorsing a new interim leader and the Conservative minority managing to avoid a non-confidence vote that could have forced a federal election.
Despite the turmoil, both Beaches-East York Liberal MP Maria Minna and Toronto-Danforth NDP MP and party leader Jack Layton are confident the plan to join forces against Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government is full steam ahead.
“I think we’re still moving forward,” said Minna, adding that, although the circumstances have changed now that Governor General Michaelle Jean has granted Harper’s request to suspend the House of Commons until Jan. 26, the primary objective remains the same.
Liberal MPs and senators unanimously endorsed Michael Ignatieff as interim party leader this afternoon.
The caucus vote clears the way for the Etobicoke-Lakeshore MP to be declared interim leader by the party’s national executive — once it consults with Liberals nationwide.
The Liberals “responded quickly to changing circumstances to offer stability and leadership to Canadians,” Ignatieff said yesterday in a statement.
Kennedy and Silva respond to Ignatieff’s appointment
By LISA RAINFORD
Michael Ignatieff’s appointment as the new interim Liberal Party leader is a chance for party renewal, say local MPs, after the Liberal caucus confirmed Ignatieff’s new role this afternoon.
Gerard Kennedy, MP for Parkdale-High Park, and Mario Silva, MP for Davenport, weighed in on the leadership change after a week that saw Stephane Dion step down from his post and leadership hopefuls, Bob Rae and Dominic Leblanc, bow out of the race in a matter of days.
“It’s a curious circumstance,” Kennedy said in an interview with The Villager, “that the party wasn’t able to come up with a broader system. (Ignatieff’s) campaign was predicated on the majority of the membership. It’s disappointing in a respect.”
Trinity-Spadina MP Olivia Chow thinks Prime Minister Stephen Harper has just delayed the inevitable.
“We (the NDP) say you can’t run, you can’t hide,” said Chow, speaking to insidetoronto.com following last week’s unprecedented suspension of parliament.
Governor General Michaelle Jean agreed to a request by Harper – in the face of a non-confidence vote by the opposition parties which would have brought down his short-lived government – to suspend parliament until Jan. 26.
