NDP Leader Jack Layton addresses his national caucus meeting on Parliament Hill on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010.FRED CHARTRAND
Jack Layton wants to put constraints on prime ministerial power and is vowing to bring in new legislation to allow prorogation only after a vote in the House of Commons.
The NDP Leader railed against Prime Minister Stephen Harper's latest use of the procedure at the end of his party's caucus retreat outside Ottawa today. "He's locked the doors, he's shut us out and he is nowhere to be seen on Parliament Hill," he said.
Like Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals, Mr. Layton and his New Democrats are critical of the Prime Minister's decision to shut down Parliament until early March.
The House was to resume sitting Monday. Instead, it is not coming back after the Vancouver Olympics, when the Conservative government will deliver a Throne Speech and budget.
Mr. Layton said he's heard from concerned Canadians about the Prime Minister's decision. He accused Mr. Harper of cutting and running to avoid the controversy over Afghan detainees, climate change and job creation.
He said Parliament must be able to hold Mr. Harper accountable, which is why he's proposing new legislation.
As it stands, the power to prorogue rests with the Prime Minister and ultimately the Governor-General. Opposition leaders have accused Mr. Harper of abusing that power, shutting down the House twice in one year to avoid either an election or other difficult issues.
A news release issued after the NDP Leader's speech says a vote in the House would inform the Governor-General of the "will of majority, so that prorogation happens when it is needed - not simply when the Prime Minister feels like it."
New Democrats, Mr. Layton noted, will report to work on Monday, as will Liberal MPs.
In addition to policy discussions and devising strategy for the prorogation period, the party's two-day caucus retreat in Wakefield, Que., also included a night of music and fundraising. NDP MP Charlie Angus, among others, took the stage at the Black Sheep Inn to raise money for earthquake relief in Haiti.
(Photo: Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press)