Coalition aiming to 'steal the government:' Shea
Last Updated: Monday, December 8, 2008 | 6:59 AM AT
CBC News
Related
IN DEPTH: Coalition crisis
- Q&A: Coalition government
- How might it work in Canada?
- The delicate role of the Governor General
- A viceregal power or an archaic authority?
- Economic update
- Federal government still projecting surpluses — but no guarantees
- When the majority doesn't rule
- Survival isn't easy in often short-lived minority governments
- House of Commons seating chart
- Sort by province, party and gender
- Coalition crisis news archive
- A collection of this CBCNews.ca stories on the political turmoil
Your Voice
- Province by province, readers react to coalition crisis
- Your View
- Send us your political poetry
- Your Forum
- What would your 'fantasy' coalition cabinet look like?
- Your Best Stuff
- Your comments today: Record-breaking numbers
Viewpoint
- WASHINGTON FILE: Neil Macdonald explains the crisis to Americans
- Jesse Brown: Coalition confusion? Here’s your partisan toolkit.
- Norman Spector's advice to the Governor General: let the people decide
- How Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean could possibly decide now that a coalition led by an interim leader and so lacking in democratic legitimacy could provide stable government to Canadians is beyond me.
Blogs
Documents
- The accord between the Liberals and the NDP
- PDF document
- Coalition's policy to address the present economic crisis
- PDF document
CBC Archives
- The King-Byng Affair
- In 1926, Lord Byng, the Governor General, refused Prime Minister Mackenzie King's request to dissolve Parliament and invited the opposition Conservatives to replace King's Liberals as the government.
- Remembering Robert Borden
- In order to pass conscription into law, Borden created a new Unionist party made up of Conservatives and pro-conscription Liberals, and then called an election, which the Unionist party won.
More than 100 Conservative supporters gathered in Charlottetown Saturday to voice their approval of the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and to denounce efforts to defeat it in Parliament.
The Liberals and the NDP delivered a letter to Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean last week saying Harper had lost the confidence of the House of Commons and they were ready to form a coalition government to replace him. However, Harper succeeded in getting Jean to prorogue Parliament before a vote of no confidence could take place.
Egmont MP and Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea spoke at the rally in front of Province House.
"It might look very appealing to the Wayne Easters of the world to steal the government," said Shea, referring to the most outspoken Liberal member of the P.E.I. caucus during the Parliamentary crisis.
"They must ask themselves: is it ethical as a Canadian to vest veto power over the country's decisions in a party that has no responsibility for Canada's progress?"
The Liberal-NDP coalition would require the backing of the Bloc Québécois, which has said it would support a coalition government for 18 months.
A rally in support of a coalition government was held last Thursday night, organized by the P.E.I. Federation of Labour.
There have been rallies in support of both sides across the country, and more are expected before Jan. 27 when Parliament resumes to hear the new federal budget.
Corrections and Clarifications
- Gail Shea is the MP for Egmont, not Malpeque as originally reported. Dec. 8, 2008|9:14 a.m. AT
Share Tools
Latest Prince Edward Island News Headlines
- Liquor store discussion heats up legislature
- The Opposition raised questions in the provincial legislature Friday over the decision to close the Wood Islands liquor store. more »
- EI rules will hurt primary trades, says P.E.I. premier
- While reaction continues to brew over Thursday's announcement about changes to the Employment Insurance program, P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz says provincial officials will be meeting with the federal government to discuss how the new rules will affect Islanders. more »
- HST to hit low-income earners hardest
- Although the proposed harmonized sales tax is good for business, it will hit low-income Islanders the hardest when it's rung in next April, said economists. more »
- Charlottetown businessman named to Order of Canada
- Charlottetown's Fred Hyndman was inducted as a member of the Order of Canada Friday. more »
Top News Headlines
- Everest victim's husband says family not seeking government help
- The husband of a Toronto woman who died trying to climb Mt. Everest on Saturday says his family is not seeking government help to cover the cost of bringing his wife's body home. more »
- Henrique's OT goal sends Devils into Stanley Cup final
- The New Jersey Devils will vie for a potential fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history after completing a six-game series win Friday night over the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference final, courtesy of rookie Adam Henrique's goal early in overtime. more »
- Employment Insurance review boards to be scrapped
- The federal government is scrapping two review boards used by people appealing decisions made about their employment insurance. more »
- Teens share bullying tales in confession booth
- Raw stories about bullying emerged when a video booth was set up inside a Quebec high school. more »
- EI rules will hurt primary trades, says P.E.I. premier
- P.E.I. quality of life second-worst, says study
- HST to hit low-income earners hardest
- 902 numbers running out in N.S., P.E.I.
- Islanders worried over EI changes
- Charlottetown businessman named to Order of Canada
- Atlantic Lottery replacing old VLTs
- Tourism P.E.I. handed out $60,000 in free golf passes
- Red Shores Raceway's fastest horse put down

