Conservatives blink

After the defection of Belinda Stronach, and with incredible pressure on Newfoundland Tory MPs Loyola Hearn and Norm Doyle, Stephen Harper has decided to support the federal budget after all. Instead, the Conservatives will try to bring down the government by voting against the NDP-led amendments to the budget:

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper announced Tuesday night that the Tories would be voting in support of the federal budget on Thursday, but that they would still try to defeat the minority government on separate legislation.

The amendment in question proposes $4.6 billion in spending on housing and the environment and also proposes a delay in a series of corporate tax cuts. It is also scheduled for a vote on Thursday.

"It's our intention to support Bill C-43, the original budget," Harper said after an emergency caucus meeting Tuesday night, hours after high-profile MP Belinda Stronach defected to the Liberals.

"We'll oppose Bill C-48, which was the deal with the NDP, which is complete irresponsible fiscal policy," Harper added.

Prime Minister Paul Martin has said both bills are confidence matters and that losing either vote would trigger an election.

Is there anything stopping Martin from abruptly withdrawing Bill C-48 once the original budget passes, thereby avoiding a confidence vote and staying in power for another summer?

Down here, the papers are quoting Hearn and Doyle as saying they would have voted in favor of the budget after all, to save the Atlantic Accord. In the meantime, an extraordinary feud between the federal Conservatives and Newfoundland's provincial PC party - which encouraged Hearn and Doyle to break ranks and support the budget - has boiled over:

Federal Conservative leader Stephen Harper had some harsh words for Premier Danny Williams Monday night for pressuring Tory MPs to support the federal Liberals in a key budget vote.

Harper said in Ottawa Monday night his party will support the federal budget, but that does not mean the new Atlantic Accord will survive.

Harper said the Conservative caucus will support Bill C-43, the original budget bill, but will topple the government if necessary by opposing Bill C-48, which includes cover Prime Minister Paul Martin's deal with the NDP.

If the government falls, the bill covering the Atlantic Accord would die on the order paper.
[...]
Williams' decision to lobby Hearn and Doyle sparked a political fire within Tory circles.

On the weekend, Hearn – the MP for St. John's South-Mount Pearl – labelled Williams as a "political neophyte." Williams brushed aside the criticism.

Harper said Williams should leave his caucus members alone.

"I don't care whether Danny likes me today or doesn't like me," said Harper, who was flanked by Doyle and Hearn.

"They stood by Danny Williams, they stood by Newfoundland, they always will," Harper said.

"And it's about time Danny Williams stood by some of his boys too, because that's the only way Newfoundland and Labrador is going to get anywhere in this country."

Harper's move may be designed to give political cover to Hearn and Doyle, MP for St. John's North, in the next federal election.

Under this move, they can vote in favour of the Atlantic Accord, but still defeat the Liberal government and force an election.

If the government does fall after the budget-amendments vote, Newfoundland Liberal candidiates will still accuse the Conservatives of killing the Atlantic Accord, on the premise that they didn't let the budget go to Third Reading. Count on it.

Posted by damian at May 18, 2005 08:58 AM | TrackBack