Tories want a fight on justice bills: Liberals

OTTAWA - The Conservatives thwarted a move to fast-track four of their law-and-order bills, arguing Wednesday a Liberal motion to speed up their passage didn't jibe with parliamentary procedure.

A day earlier, a cabinet minister said Prime Minister Stephen Harper is prepared to go to an election if the opposition stalls his law-and-order agenda.

The Liberals - who have faced repeated accusations they're soft on crime - said the Tories have shown they are only interested in making political hay and not genuinely committed to their law-and-order plan.

The Liberals' motion was designed to inoculate themselves against further criticism they are stalling anti-crime bills, and take away a potential tool at the prime minister's disposal for triggering an election.

"It really does demonstrate that what they want on justice issues is a protracted fight," said Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale.

"They want to have a fight for political reasons, but the substance doesn't mean anything to them."

In a statement, Government House Leader Peter Van Loan said the motion "offends the rules of the House" by not going through all the parliamentary stages.

"The government wants to see the bills advanced. However, this must be done in accordance with the rules," Van Loan said.

He added that he's looking at the possibility of getting unanimous consent from the parties to get the bills passed through their various stages quickly.

Speaker Peter Milliken agreed with Van Loan, and the motion died. Goodale argued there is ample precedence in parliamentary history of parties agreeing to forgo the usual procedures to pass important bills.

The Liberal motion, which was to be debated Thursday, would have seen four justice bills fast-tracked all the way to the Senate. They would be deemed approved by the Commons with no further debate or vote.

This is not the first time the Liberals have made an offer to the Conservatives to pass part of the justice package. A similar overture was made last fall on a number of bills, but the Conservatives insisted that all their legislation be included.

Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn told the Montreal Gazette on Tuesday that the justice bills remain a potential ignition for an election.

"At a given moment, it could happen that confidence motions could (be introduced by) this government and we will see - don't rule out an election," Blackburn said.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe, meanwhile, ridiculed the Liberals for trying to take the bills off the table. His party would like a full debate and committee hearings on the bills, including one that raises the age of sexual consent to 16 from 14.

"It's the first time I've seen an opposition party ask to fast-track and pass laws that they said they were against just a few weeks ago," Duceppe said. "When (Liberal Leader Stephane) Dion says he doesn't want an election, he really doesn't want it."

NDP House Leader Libby Davies said parties have a responsibility to give each bill due process.

"We're elected as parliamentarians to seriously consider and weigh and debate legislation, and some of this legislation is very far reaching," Davies said.

Even if the four bills the Liberals had proposed for the fast track did pass, the threat that Harper would use the pretext of a stalled justice bill to launch an election remains.

The opposition largely opposes two bills that are slowly working their way through the process. One bill places the onus on people convicted three times of serious crimes to persuade a judge they should not be designated dangerous offenders - something critics say would likely be deemed unconstitutional. The other contentious bill would dismantle the federal long-gun registry.

Any move by the Conservatives to speed up their passage would set off alarm bells among the opposition parties, none of which are anxious to go to the polls.

The bills the Liberals offered to fast-track include measures that expand police powers in obtaining DNA; raising the age of sexual consent; another on criminal procedure; and a fourth that puts the onus on those arrested on gun crimes, with previous gun convictions, to prove to a judge determining bail that they are not a danger to society.

A day earlier, a cabinet minister said Prime Minister Stephen Harper is prepared to go to an election if the opposition stalls his law-and-order agenda.

The Liberals - who have faced repeated accusations they're soft on crime - said the Tories have shown they are only interested in making political hay and not genuinely committed to their law-and-order plan.

The Liberals' motion was designed to inoculate themselves against further criticism they are stalling anti-crime bills, and take away a potential tool at the prime minister's disposal for triggering an election.

"It really does demonstrate that what they want on justice issues is a protracted fight," said Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale.

"They want to have a fight for political reasons, but the substance doesn't mean anything to them."

In a statement, Government House Leader Peter Van Loan said the motion "offends the rules of the House" by not going through all the parliamentary stages.

"The government wants to see the bills advanced. However, this must be done in accordance with the rules," Van Loan said.

He added that he's looking at the possibility of getting unanimous consent from the parties to get the bills passed through their various stages quickly.

Speaker Peter Milliken agreed with Van Loan, and the motion died. Goodale argued there is ample precedence in parliamentary history of parties agreeing to forgo the usual procedures to pass important bills.

The Liberal motion, which was to be debated Thursday, would have seen four justice bills fast-tracked all the way to the Senate. They would be deemed approved by the Commons with no further debate or vote.

This is not the first time the Liberals have made an offer to the Conservatives to pass part of the justice package. A similar overture was made last fall on a number of bills, but the Conservatives insisted that all their legislation be included.

Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn told the Montreal Gazette on Tuesday that the justice bills remain a potential ignition for an election.

"At a given moment, it could happen that confidence motions could (be introduced by) this government and we will see - don't rule out an election," Blackburn said.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe, meanwhile, ridiculed the Liberals for trying to take the bills off the table. His party would like a full debate and committee hearings on the bills, including one that raises the age of sexual consent to 16 from 14.

"It's the first time I've seen an opposition party ask to fast-track and pass laws that they said they were against just a few weeks ago," Duceppe said. "When (Liberal Leader Stephane) Dion says he doesn't want an election, he really doesn't want it."

NDP House Leader Libby Davies said parties have a responsibility to give each bill due process.

"We're elected as parliamentarians to seriously consider and weigh and debate legislation, and some of this legislation is very far reaching," Davies said.

Even if the four bills the Liberals had proposed for the fast track did pass, the threat that Harper would use the pretext of a stalled justice bill to launch an election remains.

The opposition largely opposes two bills that are slowly working their way through the process. One bill places the onus on people convicted three times of serious crimes to persuade a judge they should not be designated dangerous offenders - something critics say would likely be deemed unconstitutional. The other contentious bill would dismantle the federal long-gun registry.

Any move by the Conservatives to speed up their passage would set off alarm bells among the opposition parties, none of which are anxious to go to the polls.

The bills the Liberals offered to fast-track include measures that expand police powers in obtaining DNA; raising the age of sexual consent; another on criminal procedure; and a fourth that puts the onus on those arrested on gun crimes, with previous gun convictions, to prove to a judge determining bail that they are not a danger to society.