Christmas election inevitable
PM: Will not prorogue Parliament, Martin says; gov't will likely fall on non-confidence vote at month's end
Anne Dawson
CanWest News Service
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Prime Minister Paul Martin all but acknowledged on Saturday that a Christmas election campaign is inevitable, while speaking with reporters during a refuelling stop here on his return from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea.
Martin said he does not like the politicking leading up to a campaign, but he enjoys being out on the trail where he can sell his message. "I really, really like campaigns. I don't find campaigns hard. It pays to go to small towns."
He also joked sometimes his message doesn't always get out because it is "filtered," taking a shot at the media.
The Martin government is expected to fall on Nov. 28 or 29 when the opposition presents a non-confidence vote.
All three parties have said they will vote against the Liberals because they have lost confidence in what they say is a corrupt government, paving the way for an election on Jan. 9 or 16. However, all parties have indicated they will take a campaign breather over the holiday period so Canadians can spend time with their families rather than worry about an election.
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Earlier on Saturday, in Busan, South Korea, Martin assured the opposition he would not prorogue Parliament to avoid a non-confidence vote.
He had been cagey about whether the Liberals would shut down Parliament in the coming days, but in a news conference before returning home, he was definitive.
"Of course I'm not," he said when asked if he intended to prorogue.
"What I'm going to do is govern right until such time as the opposition defeats us," Martin said, while repeating his promise to call an election 30 days after Justice John Gomery releases his final report on the $250-million sponsorship scandal on Feb. 1.
The prime minister noted, however, he would like to pass legislation bringing in the tax cuts promised in Finance Minister Ralph Goodale's mini-budget before his government is likely defeated. "We would very much like to see the tax package through," he said.
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