The leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) withdrew his key support for Canada's minority Liberal government on Monday, a move that will likely precipitate its downfall within weeks and an election soon.
NDP leader Jack Layton had offered to prop up Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin's embattled Liberal government in exchange for healthcare spending concessions, but told business leaders at a luncheon in Toronto that Martin's proposals were inadequate.
"Unfortunately, I don't believe that there are grounds to go forward," Layton said.
"Unfortunately, those of us committed to getting things done in this parliament and for all of those who were attempting to do so, there's no basis for our party to express confidence in this government," he added.
The Liberals have 133 of 308 seats in the House of Commons. With the NDP's 18 seats and the support of a handful of independent members of parliament, Martin had managed to fend off attacks by the Conservatives (98 seats) and Bloc Quebecois (54 seats) in May as a major political funding scandal roared.
But, with all three opposition parties now united against him, Martin's government could lose a confidence vote as early as the middle of this month, which would send voters to the polls at Christmas.
The prime minister's office declined to comment on the announcement, but Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh offered to continue negotiating with the NDP to reach a deal on healthcare.
Conservative leader Stephen Harper expressed doubt that Layton would follow through with his threat to help defeat the government, calling it "another episode in the soap opera."
"You know, a soap opera, you watch it every day and nothing really changes," Harper said.
Both he and Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe urged Layton to table a confidence motion himself to prove his resolve.
None of the opposition leaders said they would actually trigger an election, fearing a possible voter backlash for interrupting Canadians' holiday festivities.
Martin had promised to call an election in March.
Meanwhile, the latest Strategic Counsel data published on Saturday in the Globe and Mail put the Liberals' approval rating at 28 percent, down 10 percent in three weeks, neck and neck with the Conservatives who gained six points to 31 percent.
If an election were held now, the Liberals would likely lose and the Conservatives would form the next government, the results suggested.
A new online voting system aimed at boosting turnout among the Philippines’ millions of overseas workers ahead of Monday’s mid-term elections has been marked by confusion and fears of disenfranchisement. Thousands of overseas Filipino workers have already cast their ballots in the race dominated by a bitter feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his impeached vice president, Sara Duterte. While official turnout figures are not yet publicly available, data from the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) showed that at least 134,000 of the 1.22 million registered overseas voters have signed up for the new online system, which opened on April 13. However,
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
ALLIES: Calling Putin his ‘old friend,’ Xi said Beijing stood alongside Russia ‘in the face of the international counter-current of unilateralism and hegemonic bullying’ Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday was in Moscow for a state visit ahead of the Kremlin’s grand Victory Day celebrations, as Ukraine accused Russia’s army of launching air strikes just hours into a supposed truce. More than 20 foreign leaders were in Russia to attend a vast military parade today marking 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, taking place three years into Russia’s offensive in Ukraine. Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and has marshaled the memory of Soviet victory against Nazi Germany to justify his campaign and rally society behind the offensive,
CONFLICTING REPORTS: Beijing said it was ‘not familiar with the matter’ when asked if Chinese jets were used in the conflict, after Pakistan’s foreign minister said they were The Pakistan Army yesterday said it shot down 25 Indian drones, a day after the worst violence between the nuclear-armed rivals in two decades. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to retaliate after India launched deadly missile strikes on Wednesday morning, escalating days of gunfire along their border. At least 45 deaths were reported from both sides following Wednesday’s violence, including children. Pakistan’s military said in a statement yesterday that it had “so far shot down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones” at multiple location across the country. “Last night, India showed another act of aggression by sending drones to multiple locations,” Pakistan military spokesman Ahmed
RSS