Conservative Browes rips 'power grab'

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper had his Christmas wish granted yesterday and Scarborough's Liberal MPs aren't pleased.

At Harper's request, Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean agreed to suspend Parliament until Jan. 26.

That means Opposition parties won't get the chance to defeat Harper's Conservative government and give Jean the choice of calling another election or turning over power to a Liberal-New Democrat coalition supported by the Bloc Quebecois.

Scarborough-Guildwood MP John McKay said this just delays the defeat the Conservatives are bound to suffer.

"I think you're seeing Mr. Harper's last days as prime minister," he said Thursday.

Harper, McKay argued, only asked for the suspension because he doesn't have "the confidence of the House" meaning enough votes to pass crucial bills, such as budgets.

And if you don't have the votes, you're not prime minister, McKay said. "The rest is just nonsense."

Still, staying behind Stephane Dion as both party and coalition leader during a leadership race within Liberal ranks will be a challenge, he acknowledged.

"But I think we will," said McKay, "because the die is cast."

Pauline Browes, a former Conservative MP for Scarborough and current member of a national roundtable on the environment and economy, called Jean's decision a fortunate one that will let "cooler heads" in Opposition respond to Harper's invitation for ideas to stimulate Canada's faltering economy.

"The olive branch has been put forth by the prime minister to work together. That's certainly what I would like to see them do," said Browes.

She conceded that may not happen, considering Opposition attitudes.

"It is most unfortunate they see this only as a power grab for themselves," Browes said, agreeing another election, with another deeply divided minority government afterwards, is a likely result.

Scarborough-Agincourt MP Jim Karygiannis suggested support in his strongly Liberal riding favoured the coalition, which has its own plans to boost the economy. He said he received 75 e-mails saying the Opposition should govern together and 20 against it.

After Jean's decision, however, more messages were "just pouring in by the dozens," he said.

In her e-mail, one woman said she is disappointed with the decision. "I am 100 per cent behind a Liberal-NDP coalition as the answer to Harper's poor economic statement and his refusal to move quickly in the face of the economic crisis," it reads.