Spineless. Liberals duck the budget vote. Again.

Congratulations Michael Ignatieff and the pathetic excuse for an opposition party you lead. Your Dion-era shenanigans of ducking the budget vote like it's some kind of freaking strategy, while you cower in fear of an election is about the only thing in Ottawa these days that is actually transparent. Utterly so in fact.

And just so you know - Harper's going to call an election this fall anyway. Why else do you think it's been raining cash? So you see, you've staved off nothing. You've achieved nothing. You've stood for nothing.

I did not vote Liberal in the last election because I wanted someone who would look away while Harper was beating the shit out of democracy, or due process, or women's groups, or Afghan detainees or any of the other CRAP you spineless enablers allow to continue. I voted for someone who would do everything within his power to put a stop to that megalomaniac.

Oh yes, Mr Ignatieff, you're so very articulate in your faux outrage about "abuse of power", but when it comes time to follow words with actions, your party does sweet fuck all. Forgive me if I'm not quite so articulate as you, but I can assure you that my words will be followed up by action. The kind of action made by marking a ballot.

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Liberal Party opposition FAIL

I sent an email to my Liberal MP before the last election (requesting a lawn sign). So obviously he has my email address and a pretty good indication that I voted Lib in that election. But I have yet to receive one single communication, or request for a donation from his office or the party. Funny, because I am bombarded daily with phone calls from various charities requesting money. I thought the Liberals needed money to compete with Harper's massive war chest. I guess they're so focused on avoiding an election they're not even fundraising.

Meanwhile, the LPC continues to aid and abet the Harpocrat assault on democracy by continuing the same old strategy they pursued under Dion, ie having just enough absent members for votes on confidence issues. They're trying to have their cake and eat it too, setting up a sort of plausible deniability. The old "we never supported this bill" cop-out.

Guess what guys? That's not cake you're eating.

The Budget implementation bill (C-9) is currently moving through the house and senate. It's packed with tag-along provisions that should rightly be tabled as separate bills, to be debated and voted on by Parliament individually. If passed the Budget will
- allow enviro minister to grant exemptions on environmental assessments
- grant the right to sell Atomic Energy Canada without parliamentary approval
- remove $57 billion worth of contributions from the Employment Insurance Fund
- begin the privatization of Canada Post
There's more but those are the most contentious issues.

The NDP tried last month to give the House finance committee the power to split the bill, but the attempt fell short in a 133-128 vote.

Linda Duncan, the NDP's environment critic, tried to split off the environmental assessment provision in the bill into separate legislation, yet she didn't even win the support of her own party.

Lowell Murray, the Progressive Conservative senator, wants to split the bill in the Senate. "This is really beyond the pale. The opposition has a job to do and they shouldn't be intimidated by the government. It's very sad. Where can people look now?" he said.

Where indeed.
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