Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Ottawa – Jay Hill, Member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River, said today’s Speech from the Throne is a disheartening sign that the federal Liberals aren’t ready to work collaboratively with opposition parties in what Canadians are hoping will be a productive 38th Parliament.

“Based upon what we witnessed today in Ottawa, it’s going to take a rude awakening for the Liberals and Paul Martin to grasp that Canadian voters took away their majority,” said Hill. “Far from making overtures to the opposition parties and the Canadians who voted for them, the government’s Throne Speech offered little other than warmed-over leftovers recycled from the recent election campaign and the Chrétien era.”

Through his involvement in all-party negotiations prior to the opening of the 38th Parliament as Chief Opposition Whip, Hill had hoped that the Prime Minister would build upon the spirit of cooperation that the opposition parties had initiated.

“Where Paul Martin is unable or unwilling to lead the productive, collective effort required to enact Canadians’ wishes, Stephen Harper and the Conservative caucus is prepared to step-in and take action,” noted Hill. Stephen Harper has already met with the leaders of the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Quebecois to explore ways to avoid partisan gridlock in the House of Commons.

“Paul Martin, set to depart on his world tour this week, has given his party marching orders to selfishly bull-doze ahead with a Liberal-exclusive agenda. Clearly Martin doesn’t want to govern, he just wants to have a government.” Hill concluded, “That means it’s up to the Official Opposition to push for action on democratic reform, on agriculture and the beef and softwood lumber crises, on the gun registry fiasco, on an effective military and on tax relief … and we’re prepared to do it!”

-30-

For more information, please contact:
Jay Hill, M.P. (613) 947-4524 or (250) 787-119