Tories survive Liberal no-confidence motion

[daleo]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s minority government has survived a Liberal no-confidence motion with help from the NDP, avoiding a potential election campaign.

The Liberal motion, supported by the Bloc Québécois, was defeated by a vote of 144 to 117 after the NDP decided to abstain.

NDP Leader Jack Layton had earlier said the party is propping up the minority Conservatives to ensure the speedy passage of legislation extending employment insurance benefits.

...

Ignatieff said his party no longer trusts the Conservative government.

"So the issue for us is just basic trust with what this government is saying to us. We're tired of this kind of game-playing. We wanted real accountability. We wanted a government that tells Canadians the truth. We've had enough," Ignatieff said when he filed the notice of motion on Monday.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/10/01/confidence-motion-parliament-ndp305.html
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Can we call this the "Socialist-Conservative Abstention Maneuver" (SCAM)?

[CHIMO]

1. Interesting

So I presume the NDP are neither for nor against the motion.

Probably looks good to the NDP. Seems like a cop out to me. Wonder what voters will think of it?

Cast a vote for a party that doesn't take a stand. Or vote for a party that never has supported the Conservatives? I think that they should explain a bit.

[daleo]

2. Between the devil and the deep blue sea

That's where I think they are. The Liberals will scoff at them and the Harperites will sneer at them. The right wing media will throw them a few coy glances, then toss them aside like an old shoe when the right moment comes.

To think that they gave up Paul Martin's child care program and the Kelowna Accord for this. It's one of the biggest political miscalculations I have ever seen.

[Spazito]

3. Geez, what gutless behavior!

To abstain is the height of cowardice, imo. They either support the government or they do not, it is that simple. If Layton thinks Canadians can't see the cowardliness of this action he is fooling himself and his party. Pathetic, truly pathetic.

[Clintonista2]

4. Not only gutless, but hypocritical