Modeling Journey

Layton says he is doing that to ensure that $1 billion of new funds reach jobless Canadians as a result of Harper's latest manoeuvre.

However, let's put that in perspective. The NDP, with Layton in the forefront, has time after time said in and out of Parliament that they do not think the Tory government is doing enough to stimulate the economy and create jobs.

We in the Liberal Party agree.

That is why we believe the time has come to vote the Tory government out of government and have an election so that Canadians can get the government they really need.

And we believe this is necessary because the economy is in deep trouble, and changing that will require a government with a different view to that of the Tories.
And that is more important than a small fix to the EI problem.

How big is the problem (which Layton's NDP is prolonging by its support of the Tories)?

Read this from the Globe & Mail's Daybook for September 30 to get an idea:

"One measure of a recession's toll is the amount of unused capacity, or slack, in an economy. Empty warehouses, unemployed people and idle assembly lines offer stark examples of the deepest downtown in a generation. They also indicate how far an economy has to go before it can climb out of the slump. Today, Daybook looks at industrial capacity.

INDUSTRIES
PRODUCERS
Textile mills are running at half capacity. Oil and gas firms have slowed their activity. Paper mills are closing. And operations in 32 mines were closed or suspended during the first half of the year…

CAPACITY
Across the country, industries are running at just 67.4 per cent of their capacity utilization rates, the lowest level in at least 22 years, Statistics Canada says.
All sectors except food manufacturing saw their capacity use fall in the second quarter. The mining sector, for example, operated at 50 per cent of capacity.

Transportation equipment factories ran at 46 per cent. And primary metal makers used just 62 per cent of their capacity - a record low.

To put that in perspective, in 2000 when the economy was abuzz with the high-tech boom, Canadian factories were humming along at 87.1 per cent of capacity."

Jack, take note of the steep curve facing our economy: capacity utilization at 67.4% versus 87.1%.

And every day you support Harper's do-little and stall-a-lot government simply delays the steps needed to improve the capacity utilization, and provide good jobs to Canadians.

Are you sure that you and the NDP really want to do that?

It is not too late to put Canadians first.