I just watched Ignatieff news conference on CPAC. Towards the end he was asked a series of questions about the prospect of a coalition government. After repeating his previous statement about ‘a coalition if necessary but not necessarily a coalition’, he made the following significant points about a Liberal-NDP coalition government, some of which have not enjoyed much publicity before:
1. We are living in unusual times, in that the problem in Parliament was brought about by Harper, who behaved in such a way that he lost the confidence of the House. That is why the coalition agreement (the Accord) was agreed to.
2. The Accord was not drawn up on the back of an envelope. It was a very carefully thought out document, and is available to the public to see.
3. If Harper is unable to win the confidence of the House with his next budget, then Ignatieff is prepared to tell the Governor General that the Liberal government is prepared to govern Canada with the assistance of the NDP, and the Bloc will vote with it, and that the coalition government will provide at least 18 months of stable government to Canada, and will govern in accordance with the program set out in the Accord.
4. The coalition government would provide Canada with at least (he stressed the at least and mentioned that it might last much longer) 18 months of stability, during these tough economic times.
5. Whether the coalition government should govern or not is not a question for the people of Canada; it will come about (if it does) as part of the operation of our Parliament, if Harper loses the confidence vote on the budget.
6. He came out very strongly against the ridiculous notion spread by the Harper government that no MP should enter into any agreement with Bloc MPs. Ignatieff strongly defended the right of every Bloc MP to his or her place in Parliament, and said that they had as much right to their seats there as he had; they were our fellow citizens, and were entitled to participate in the governing of Canada. He slammed Harper for denying Bloc MPs that right, and for using arguments designed to cause national disunity over this issue.
I am encouraged by these statements. They reveal a man who has thought carefully about the coalition government, and who would be prepared to lead such a government if the Harper budget loses the vote. They do not reflect a man who is opposed to the concept of a coalition government with the NDP out of principle; rather, they reflect the views of a man who is a realist, and recognizes that a coalition government in these troubled times might be the best option for our country.
As for the budget meeting the tests he set for Liberal Party acceptance, the Liberal caucus would have to consider the reaction of the NDP and the Bloc to the Harper government in considering whether Harper’s government should be propped up. Clearly, the MPs representing these other two parties are also part of the confidence the Harper government needs in order to govern as a minority government, and to provide stability for Canada in these troubled times.
If Harper is propped up by the Liberal MPs with a budget which is inadequate for the country’s needs, then we will not be in for stable government over the next two years, but turmoil and strife. Only the coalition government can provide stability at this time, when it is so deeply needed.
