AP News, October 19th, 2007
Canada's Conservative government called Thursday for a confidence vote on a sweeping crime bill, a step that would force early elections if the opposition votes against it.
The government's action essentially would ram the bill through Parliament. It came one day after Canada's weakened opposition Liberal leader said he would not force early elections by voting against the government's legislative agenda.
The crime bill would impose mandatory prison terms for gun crime, tougher measures for drunk driving, change the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16 and implement stricter bail conditions.
"Canadians want action on crime now and that's what we intend to deliver," said Minister of Justice Rob Nicholson.
No date was immediately scheduled for the confidence vote.
The Liberals have supported some provisions of the new crime bill, although they opposed making it easier to classify repeat felons as dangerous offenders.
Liberal leader Stephane Dion said Wednesday that Canadians did not want a third election in four years. He said Thursday his party would examine the crime bill before deciding how to vote.
Conservatives won election in January 2006, unseating the Liberals after nearly 13 years in power. But as a government without a majority in Parliament, the Conservatives have a tenuous hold, relying on opposition lawmakers to pass legislation.
The Liberal Party has been weakened since by-elections last month when it lost a district it traditionally had held. The loss led to infighting within the party and showed that Dion — the Liberals' French-speaking leader — is unpopular in the French-speaking province of Quebec.
Some analysts believe Prime Minister Steven Harper is trying to force an early election so he can try and win a majority of the seats in Parliament. He would have to do well in Quebec to win a majority government.
Harper's Conservative party now holds 126 seats of the 308 seats in Parliament, while the Liberals have 96, the Bloc Quebecois 49 and the New Democrats 30. Three seats are held by Independents and four remain vacant.
