Not that it has much chance of being passed, mind you, but since the first vote takes place later today, I figured we should at least know the substance of the motion itself, aside from the political optics of it being the First Vote on the Budget:
Not that it has much chance of being passed, mind you, but since the first vote takes place later today, I figured we should at least know the substance of the motion itself, aside from the political optics of it being the First Vote on the Budget:
That the amendment be amended by deleting all the words after the words “on condition that the Government” and substituting the following:
“maintain the right of women to settle pay equity issues in court, and abandon its preference for tax cuts for the well off, instead redistributing this revenue to the neediest members of our society, particularly by responding to the unanimous demands of the National Assembly of Quebec as formulated in the motion adopted on January 15, 2009, to assist workers, communities and businesses hit by the economic slowdown, support at-risk sectors, particularly manufacturing and forestry, in the same way as the automobile industry, and enhance the employment insurance program by making the eligibility criteria more flexible, and on condition that it maintain the equalization program in its current form and relinquish the idea of setting up a pan-Canadian securities commission.”.
UPDATE:
According to Gilles Duceppe, this motion “basically repeats the motion passed unanimously in the National Assembly, along with a few other elements.” Further, “when the time comes to vote on it, all the members from Quebec will face a very clear choice: a choice for or against Quebec. All Quebec members who vote against this amendment to the amendment and in favour of the Conservative budget will be choosing Canada over Quebec.”