联邦自由党来稿/联邦自由党党领叶礼庭今天宣布，他要求保守党政府接受自由党提出的政府应做出强制性成果报告的要求，才能让预算案过关。根据该要求，政府应在2009年3月26日前做出第一次综合性的成绩报告。
叶礼庭说：“昨天宣布的预算案绝非理想，既没有修订失业保险系统，为过去几周内数千名失去工作的人士提供保障，甚至还威胁到妇女的同工同酬待遇。该预算案还打破了他们两年前刚向各省份许下的平衡拨款的诺言。”
“仅仅说早该采取行动其实淡化了问题。加拿大国民应该得到政府的支持。我确信只有国会议员们努力解决经济问题，才最符合加拿大人民利益。因此，自由党决定修订预算案，其中包括要求政府向国会阶段性地报告工作进程。第一次报告应在60天之内。哈珀总理如果不希望他的政府倒台，就必须接受这些监督政府的问责性措施。”
叶礼庭说：“我们之所以这样做，是因为本届政府在过去的三年中，不断出现对公共财务管理不当的状况。不管是结购性赤字，是寅吃卯粮，还是商业的周期，这些对于加拿大人来说都不是关键所在。关键是人们工作一辈子的积蓄一夜之间就缩水了一半。人们能不担心如何养家糊口，如何培养下一代完成学业吗？我们的国家在这一经济困难时期需要稳定，这也是为什么自由党采取该举措的原因。”
叶礼庭补充说：“本届政府在经济危机面前举措不当，行动不力。国会以及全体加国人民都有理由质疑政府在处理经济问题方面的可信度。自由党已做好准备，行动起来，在体现国民利益的前提下，迎接经济危机的挑战。我希望哈珀的保守党政府也能做好这样的准备。
新民主党来稿：BUDGET FAILS TO PROTECT MOST VULNERABLE, CREATE AND SAFEGUARD JOBS
“No confidence in Harper to implement policies he’s spent a lifetime opposing”: Layton
OTTAWA – Yesterday’s Conservative budget will not protect Canada’s most vulnerable or adequately save and create jobs, said New Democrat Leader Jack Layton.
“This budget fails to restore confidence in Mr. Harper’s ability to protect the vulnerable in Canada,” said Layton.
“In the budget, he prioritized $60 billion in corporate tax cuts and only $1.15 billion for the unemployed,” said Layton. He also noted Harper’s failure to reform Employment Insurance by freezing payments, maintaining the two-week waiting period and not improving eligibility requirements.
The budget also contains no mention of childcare spaces and maintains the attack on women’s ability to pursue pay equity complaints.
The budget will fail to secure the jobs of the future by continuing Harper’s failed policies on infrastructure. Recent commitments to infrastructure have failed due to the regulations and conditions the Conservatives have placed on qualifying projects. Municipal leaders across Canada still have not seen infrastructure funding despite repeated announcements. The Conservatives’ onerous regulations for municipalities trying to access infrastructure funding remain in place, ensuring that little if any of the funding will actually flow.
Layton also criticized the budget for its failure to seize the opportunities for Canada to collaborate with the Obama administration’s recently announced cap-and-trade market to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the Obama administration’s plans for greener car production.
