It didn’t take a political genius to figure out that accusations of mergers and coalitions between parties would play prominently in Question Period on Wednesday.
But who knew Jack Layton would raise the issue?
Of course, the NDP Leader was more interested in talking about a Liberal-Conservative alliance than the discounted rumours that his New Democrats are discussing a merger with the party led by Michael Ignatieff.
“The Liberal-Conservatives worked together against the public interest,” Mr. Layton told the Commons. “They authorized the sale of AECL, they began the privatization of Canada Post and they used up the EI fund surplus”
Mr. Layton was referring to the omnibus budget Bill C-9 that was passed by the House of Commons on Tuesday night with the help of the Liberals, who deliberately ensured that enough of their members were absent to prevent its defeat.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper tried hard to control his grin when he delivered his response. “If the Leader of the New Democratic Party has nasty things to say about the Liberals when he is accusing the Liberals of working with us, why does he want to form a coalition with them?” he asked.
When Mr. Layton used the words “Liberal-Conservative coalition” in his follow-up question, it prompted uproars of laughter from the other benches. But he persevered. “He got his misguided budget through, Mr. Speaker, through a coalition of the unwilling. What else is this group going to support together? The privatization of the CBC? The extension of the war in Afghanistan? What’s next for the coalition?”
Mr. Harper pointed out that Mr. Layton was denouncing the Liberal Party. “Which I suppose is a noble cause,” said the Prime Minister. “But, at the same time he is denouncing the Liberal Party, he is of course secretly having negotiations to form a coalition with them.”
Mr. Layton retorted that he did not need to take lessons in secrecy from the Conservatives.
Mr. Harper was the one who first broached the issue of merging parties in response to a question from Mr. Ignatieff.
The Liberal Leader, like Gilles Duceppe of the Bloc Québécois, had asked about the billion-dollar costs of the G8 and G20 summits that will take place later this month in Toronto and Muskoka. There has been much mirth from the opposition over the fact that the Conservative government’s plans include a fake lake in a pavilion for journalists
“Money seems to be gushing out of half a dozen secret slush funds,” said Mr. Ignatieff. “This thing is out control.”
Mr. Harper replied that the government heard all of the same complaints about the cost of the Olympics this past winter and that turned out to be a world-class event.
“These guys can talk about a fake lake, but we are learning in these coalition talks that they’ve got a big party over there,” said Mr. Harper.
There was much more from all of the opposition parties about the cost of the two meetings. Liberal MP Marlene Jennings made a reference the “the Lake of Waste” and “Boondoggle Lake.”
Mike Savage, another Liberal, said it has been called the “Blue Lagoon,” the “Excess Pool” and the “Fuddleduddle Puddle.”
And Charlie Angus of the NDP said: “The cost of this shindig would lift every senior citizen in this country out of poverty. Instead, it is being blown on ridiculous ego projects backed by even more ridiculous excuses.”
Which is the kind of rhetoric that has been going on all week.
The only real news stemming from Question Period came when Mr. Harper rose to say that Canada fully supports the most recent series of sanctions that the United Nations Security Council has approved to pressure the Iranian authorities over its nuclear program.
“Our concern about Iran's nuclear program is, of course, a long-held position of this government,” said Mr. Harper. “We welcome the latest round of sanctions voted upon by the United Nations Security Council and Canada will do everything in its power to work with our partners to fully implement those sanctions.”
