The Liberals are "more committed than ever" to replacing the Tories in government, said Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion on Thursday, after Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean granted Prime Minister Stephen Harper's request to suspend Parliament until Jan. 26.
Jean's decision allows Harper and his Conservatives to sidestep a confidence vote scheduled for Monday that would have toppled the minority government. The expected no-confidence vote would have potentially brought a Liberal-NDP coalition — supported by the Bloc Québécois — to power.
"We are more committed than ever [to] the coalition," Dion told reporters in Ottawa Thursday.
"This is about replacing Mr. Harper unless he has made a monumental change from what he has already done. We don't want to see his words, we need to see changes, monumental changes."
Dion said the changes he wishes to see are reflected in the coalition agreement.
The three opposition parties said they would bring down the government because last week's fiscal update delivered by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty did not include an economic stimulus package they said was needed given the country's trying economic times.
Dion said he still has no confidence in Harper's ability to lead Canada through an economic crisis, but "respects" Jean's decision to grant Harper's request.
Harper now faces the "monumental challenge" of co-operating with Parliament and reaching out to the opposition parties, Dion said.
"Despite repeated promises to the contrary, [Harper] has merely paid lip service to the ideals of co-operation and consensus."
Harper now has the opportunity to "follow the example of the coalition" to find common ground to address the trying economic times Canada faces.
Harper uses move to 'escape accountability': Layton
NDP Leader Jack Layton made similar comments, albeit in a harsher tone.
Harper has refused "to face the people of Canada through their elected representatives," Layton told reporters in Ottawa.
"Instead, unfortunately, he's used a manoeuvre to escape accountability. That is an attack on democracy, and we cannot have confidence in someone who could do such a thing," said Layton.
The NDP is prepared to get to work on a budget "right now," said Layton.
Layton said he offered several ideas and specific initiatives during an hour-long meeting with Harper in the leadup to the government's economic update, but that the prime minister rejected them all.
"Not only did he reject them, but he took away my right as a member of Parliament to vote on confidence in the government," said Layton.
"He had his chance, we don't trust him. We will deliver an economic program as soon as we are given an opportunity to do so."
The coalition — which would have a 24-member cabinet composed of six NDP and 18 Liberal MPs — has vowed to make an economic stimulus package a priority, proposing a multibillion-dollar plan that would include help for the auto and forestry sectors.
With 77 Liberal MPs and 37 New Democrats, plus the support of 49 Bloc members, the three parties have more seats than the 143 held by the Tories.
Duceppe accuses Harper of attacking Quebec
"The Conservative leader denigrated the votes of all Quebecers," Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe told reporters in Ottawa.
"He has asked his supporters to engage in the worst attacks against Quebecers since Meech Lake."
"He has done this simply to save his own skin."
Following an intensive 1987 bargaining session at Meech Lake, Que., then prime minister Brian Mulroney and the 10 provincial premiers struck a deal to bring Quebec back into the constitutional fold.
The province had refused to sign on to the 1982 Constitution Act brought in by Pierre Trudeau's government.
However, the constitutional amendments packaged in the Meech Lake Accord were never adopted because two provinces — Manitoba and Newfoundland — failed to ratify it by the agreed-upon June 1990 deadline.
