Layton standing up for ordinary Canadians

The Globe and Mail:

Layton draws strong line on budget, opening door to election

New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton says Canadians still might be able to convince Prime Minister Stephen Harper to change his plans for the March budget.

“Well [Mr. Harper's] got a choice to make," Mr. Layton said. "He can either come up with a good budget that responds to some of the real needs that Canadians are facing today, which we outlined, or he can decide not to do that, in which case, he’ll be deciding to move us into an election.”

The NDP leader took a shopping list into the Friday meeting that included:

• Removing the federal sales tax from home heating bills and restoring the EcoEnergy Retrofit program;

• Increasing the Guaranteed Income Supplement for low-income seniors;

• Expanding the Canada Pension Plan;

• Hiring more family doctors.

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Scrapping tax cuts still key to budget support: Layton

NDP Leader Jack Layton says he still wants the government to cancel planned corporate tax cuts, as negotiations continue on the upcoming federal budget -- the details of which will determine whether Canadians head to the polls this spring.

After the meeting, Layton said he had reiterated his party's focus on four policies: to eliminate federal tax on home-heating fuel, boost the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors, help solve the shortage of family doctors that has left millions of Canadians without a primary care physician, and expanding the Canada Pension Plan.

"(The government is) looking at spending billions all over the place. Whether it's on the corporate tax cuts or whether it's on jets that they want to buy, you name it. It's not as though this government is averse to spending money," Layton said.

"We're talking about a modest expenditure out of the total package, and it looks as though government revenues are going to be somewhat improved in the budget coming forward, and we think that Canadians who have suffered through this recession and need a little bit of help…we think it's their turn now."

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