The Liberals seem to be in automatic opposition mode and conforming with Jack Layton’s earlier constructive language, the NDP appears supportive of the Throne Speech.
NDP priorities included in Throne Speech
(remember, they also claim that they wrote last year’s budget and “invented ‘free’ healthcare”)
NDP Leader Jack Layton says that while he’s encouraged that priority NDP issues like public health care, the creation of child care spaces, electoral reform, and the environment were included in today’s Speech from the Throne, indicating the Conservative government’s willingness to listen to the opposition, he’ll wait to see how committed the new government is to action.
…
If Mr. Harper is serious about making this Parliament work, we will be open to working with him. Canadians want this Parliament to be productive and the NDP’s listening, but we will not move backwards on the progressive values we were elected to represent.
Who’s questioning whether or not Harper wants this Parliament to work? What are the odds that Harper wants to orchestrate his own defeat on his first Throne Speech? Please.
Otherwise, it looks good. The NDP appears to be onside already.
With the NDP and Independent André Arthur, the Conservatives have a majority of votes needed to pass the speech.
It appears that the Conservatives have some backup in Gilles Duceppe and the Bloc as well…
C’est un discours du Trône élaboré clairement dans le but d’éviter la controverse que nous a livré aujourd’hui le premier ministre Stephen Harper. Il s’agit d’un discours sans surprise et sans aspérité, n’apportant pas davantage de précisions ou d’échéanciers sur les intentions du gouvernement conservateur quant à la mise en oeuvre de ses priorités
(It’s a Throne Speech that set out clearly in the goal of avoiding controversy that Stephen Harper delivered to us today. It is a speech without surprises and without asperity, it doesn’t bring the advantage of neither details nor timelines for the implementation of the priorities of the Conservative government.)
The throne speech hasn’t obviously hasn’t upset the Bloc.
The Liberals are in automatic opposition mode:
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today laid out his Conservative government’s limited agenda for the 39th Parliament, reiterating the Conservatives’ five top priorities from the campaign and adding two new priorities: federalism and international obligations. Despite these additions, Harper’s speech ignored many key national issues and failed to present a comprehensive national vision for the future of Canada. Harper’s speech ignored many key national issues and failed to present a comprehensive national vision for the future of Canada.
One of the key Liberal talking points is that this PM is only focusing on five priorities. During the election campaign, Conservative researches sent out a press release outlining 56 items that Paul Martin had either declared his #1 priority or a priority that he deemed very, very important. Canadians elected Stephen Harper and his five point plan. The throne speech outlined it again today.
In the Liberal release today, the environmental failings of this 2 month-old government was criticized:
Reneging on Canada’s Kyoto commitments to deal with climate change and the environmental degradation to Canada’s air, land and waters;
Scott Brison is the Liberal critic on the environment. Mr. Brison opposed the Kyoto protocol.