Layton: "Dion has given Harper a Majority"

Here's what today's NDP Press conference was all about, that basically wasn't reported by the media... Jack Layton is accusing Mr. Dion of giving Mr. Harper a defacto-majority in Parliament. I couldn't agree morem Jack... with Dion and his team running scared, we have no Opposition.

Layton says weak Liberals have given Harper majority government
The Canadian Press - 1 hour ago

OTTAWA - The NDP says Stephen Harper's Conservatives now basically have a majority government - and it's all thanks to the weak Liberal opposition.

Leader Jack Layton says that by agreeing to roll over on the Tory throne speech vote, the Liberals have helped the prime minister govern without fear of being defeated in the Commons.

In a pep talk to party workers and MPs on Tuesday, Layton said Liberal voters should consider switching their allegiance to the NDP.

He said Canadians should not be impressed with Liberals for allowing the throne speech to pass - even though it rejects the Kyoto accord and suggests Canada should stay the course in Afghanistan until 2011.

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, who is an ardent defender of the Kyoto accord, was said by party insiders to favour defeating the government over its throne speech.

But he was talked out of it by his caucus, which argued that their party is not ready organizationally or financially to fight an election.

Harper has since made it clear that he expects a freer hand to run Parliament, and has threatened to use more frequent confidence votes that would force the opposition to either support him or trigger an election.

Layton said his party has systematically opposed the Tories in confidence votes and will continue to do so. But he pointed out that Harper can control Parliament if only one party supports him or abstains from voting.

"What effectively has happened is the gift of a majority government has been given by that party (the Liberals) to Mr. Harper."

"It's going to be very symbolic to watch our members rise in the House - willing to put their jobs, their principles, their commitments on the line - and then to watch the official opposition sit it out."