Federal election threat 2006: will Harper ruin Christmas?

With Parliament Hill looking like a boxing ring and the opposition parties ready and willing to take on the Liberals in an election, it is critical that voters have the straight facts about what's going down in Ottawa.

A motion of Non Confidence is a parliamentary motion traditionally put before a parliament by the opposition in the hope of defeating or embarrassing a government. The motion is passed or rejected by a parliamentary vote.

This tactic was last used to bring down Joe Clark's minority Progressive Conservative Party in 1980.

In February 2004, Auditor General Sheila Fraser released a report that said an estimated $100 million in commissions were given to Liberal-friendly ad agencies in Quebec during a campaign to promote national unity.

Justice John Gomery began an inquiry into the sponsorship scandal in May 2004. Public hearings took place in Ottawa and Montreal from the fall 2004 into the spring of 2005. Both former Prime Minster Jean Chrétien and current Prime Minister Paul Martin testified at the hearings.

Liberal Party leader Paul Martin was elected as a minority Prime Minister on June 28, 2004.

On April 21, 2005 Prime Minister Martin promised on television that he would call an election within 30 days of the release of Justice Gomery's report.

May 17 2005, Belinda Stronach, who once ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party, crossed the floor to join the Liberals two days before a critical vote that could have brought the minority government down.

May 19, 2005, with Stronach now voting with the Liberals and support from the NDP and two independents, Martin's government narrowly wins a confidence vote.

November 1, Justice Gomery released his first of two reports on the sponsorship scandal. In the report, former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien was to blame, although not directly involved, because the sponsorship program was ran out of the Prime Minister's office. The bulk of the blame went to Chrétien's Chief of Staff Jean Pelletier. Gomery did not lay any fault with Martin, who at the time was Finance Minister.

Also on November 1, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe said it is time to dissolve the government. Harper said even though Martin was not directly to blame the Liberal Party is at fault.

November 1 —7, NDP leader Jack Layton wanted the Liberal government to meet his demands concerning public health care in return for NDP support in parliament. A suitable agreement for Layton was not made.

On November 7, Layton, who traditionally sided with the Martin's Liberals, publicly announced his party would not support the Liberals in a vote of confidence.

Also on November 7, Harper said he would not bring forth another confidence motion; instead he wants Layton to head the motion.

On November 12, the three opposition leaders issued an ultimatum to the Prime Minister claiming if he doesn't call an election in January, they will put forth a vote of non-confidence.

It is expected the NDP will put forth a non-confidence vote on November 28. If that is the case, an election will most likely be called for early to mid January.

The other half of Gomery's findings will be released in February of 2006.

Source: www.cbc.ca