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'positive step'

NDP finance critic Peggy Nash speaks to reporters in Ottawa on Oct. 4, 2011.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

It was unanimous – 266 MPs supported Peggy Nash's motion. Not a "nay" was whispered in the Commons on Monday night.

This is rare.

MPs from all parties, including Stephen Harper's Conservatives, voted to support the Opposition finance critic's motion calling on the government to act immediately to create jobs and keep Canada out of a recession.

Ms. Nash, a Toronto MP and architect of the motion, said she was surprised at the result of the vote.

"It's a positive step," she told The Globe Tuesday. "Our motion really laid out the points we have been raising since the last election in terms of infrastructure investment, tax incentives for new hires, tax reduction for small business."

It also called on the government to move away from what Ms. Nash describes as its "illogical and unnecessary across the board corporate tax cuts."

To be clear, a motion is not a law and is in no way binding on the government. But Ms. Nash is encouraged nonetheless, arguing that accepting a motion in good faith indicates "intention."

She is now hopeful the Conservatives will follow up with action. Indeed, since the return of the House from its summer break two weeks ago, the NDP has been hammering the government over economic issues, demanding it detail how it intends to create jobs and abandon its plan to give corporations tax cuts.

The vast majority of questions New Democrats have asked in Question Period have related to the economy. And the NDP's first opposition day motion, which was tabled last Thursday and went to a vote Monday night, was a laundry list of demands about how to fix the economy.

"Who says you can't get things done in a majority government," Ms. Nash said, adding quickly: "Well we are waiting for action, actually."

She may be waiting for awhile, however. So far, she has heard only speculation about what the government might do – some small infrastructure stimulus, some help to small business.

It is very doubtful, however, the government will go as far as abandoning the corporate tax cuts. "I don't know when the dust settles what they are actually introducing, if anything," she said.

In fact earlier Tuesday, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty told reporters that despite the economic doom and gloom in Europe and the United States he is confident new measures are not required for Canada to weather the current economic storm.

Not to be deterred, Ms. Nash said the vote to accept her motion – Mr. Flaherty did not vote, nor did Prime Minister Stephen Harper – tells her that the government may "after several months be recognizing there are some economic storm clouds."

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