no tory, no ndp

PM Urges Progressive Voters to Support Liberals
liberal.ca/pressroom_e.aspx?type=news
January 18, 2006

Stephen Harper admits he needs protection from himself and Jack Layton says he wants to work side-by-side with a party that espouses policies that are completely contrary to NDP values, Prime Minister Paul Martin said yesterday.

It is for these reasons that Canadians should vote Liberal on January 23, the Prime Minister said while in London, Ontario.

“We have very different policies, very different ideas, very different proposals, but, more than that, we also have very different visions for our country,” he said.

“Mr. Harper seems to be worried that Canadians are worried about his vision. So today he's in the papers saying, don't worry, that the courts will be there to stop him. This is a bit bizarre. Even Stephen Harper seems to be saying he should be stopped. Well, at least on that much we agree.”

As for Layton, despite the NDP leader claiming that he believes in a Canada that is strong and caring, one where “no one is left behind,” he has rarely taken issue with the Conservatives during this campaign and, in fact, has said that he would be “willing to work with a Stephen Harper government,” Martin said.

“Just to be clear, Stephen Harper would cancel national child care, and Jack Layton says he can work with him. Stephen Harper would open talks with the United States to join ballistic missile defence, and Jack Layton says he can work with him. Stephen Harper would see the debate over same-sex marriage and a woman's right to choose reopened, and Jack Layton says he could work with him.

“Stephen Harper wanted to put Canadian troops in Iraq. He would break Canada's word to the world by pulling out of the Kyoto Accord. He would walk away from our national commitment to help raise up Aboriginal Canadians from poverty, and he sees judges as his political opponents, something to get around, something to overcome. And Jack Layton has actually said to Canadians – not once, but repeatedly – that he could work with that, that he could work with Stephen Harper who holds those views.

“You're either for national child care or you're not. You're either for the protection of Charter rights or you're not. You're either for better education, better housing, better health care for Aboriginal Canadians or you're not. You're either for an independent foreign policy for Canada or you're not, and you're either for a woman's right to choose or you're not. Contrary to what Jack Layton apparently believes, you can not have it both ways,” the Prime Minister said.

Prime Minister Martin concluded by pointing out the reasons why only a Liberal government can represent the values of Canadians.

“There's only one leader who will lower personal income taxes for middle-income Canadians. There's only one leader whose program supports families by investing in education, research to help create high-quality jobs. There’s only one who has made education, skills training, helping students through post-secondary education a prime focus of his campaign program.

“There are only two choices for Prime Minister, but there is only one leader whose program meets the test of financial competence, who hasn't had to correct his projections and his financial program every second day since it came out. There are only two choices for prime minister, but there's only one leader whose program includes a national child care program to give a real choice to families,” he said.