Game of chicken playing out as Tories threaten to topple government 
by Romeo St. Martin

[PoliticsWatch Updated 2:00 p.m. June 23, 2005]

OTTAWA  — Without explanation and with Conservative Leader Stephen Harper out of the country, the Conservatives have renewed their resolve to topple the minority Liberal government on a confidence vote as early as next week. 

With the Liberals on their way to extending the sitting of the House into the summer to pass the NDP budget bill (Bill C-48) and gay marriage legislation (Bill C-38), senior Conservative MPs are publicly stating their intention is to topple the government on the Bill C-48 and send Canadians to the polls. 

A vote on that bill could happen as early as Monday or Tuesday. 

And if all Conservative and Bloc MPs are present, the two parties would only need the support of two independent MPs - David Kilgour and Pat O'Brien - to secure the 154 votes needed to defeat the government. 

Kilgour voted against Bill C-48 on second reading during last month's confidence vote and O'Brien has been voting against the government since he left the Liberal caucus earlier this month. 

O'Brien left the Liberals over their handling of the gay marriage legislation, which he and 34 Liberal backbenchers oppose, and would not rule out defeating the government on confidence votes if it resulted in the gay marriage bill dies in the process. 

There were also signs that the Conservatives are serious about fielding their entire contingent of 98 MPs. 

Three MPs - David Chatters, Darrel Stinson and Gurmant Grewal - have not been in the House for votes in recent weeks because of cancer treatment and stress leave, in the case of Grewal. 

But Stinson was in the House on Thursday afternoon to vote against a Liberal motion to close debate on a motion to extend the sitting into the summer. 

"We will be here Monday - all of us," said Conservative MP John Reynolds. 

"If people are sick, they can't be here. But everyone has been told to be here on Monday."

Reynolds denied that he was engaging in a bluff in order to have the Liberals back down on their efforts to pass the gay marriage bill before the fall and when asked if there Conservative's were serious about toppling the government, he said, "Yes."

Later Conservative Deputy Leader Peter MacKay was talking about an election campaign on ethics and government corruption, which stood in contrast to comments Conservatives have made in recent weeks that Canadians do not want an election. 

"What's changed? Attitudes I guess," said MacKay. 

Conservative MP James Moore said he's prepared for an election campaign if one comes.

"We're voting against (C-48) and if the consequences of that is an election campaign, then those are the consequences," he said. 

Meanwhile, the government moved closer to gaining the support of the Bloc Quebecois to extend the House sitting into the summer. 

The Bloc is expected to support extending the sitting after Government House Leader Tony Valeri agreed in writing with a letter Bloc House leader Michel Gauthier sent to him requesting extending the Parliament if Bill C-38 is passed at all stages. 

A vote on the motion to extend the sitting is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET Thursday evening. 

A Liberal motion to end debate on the motion passed easily in the House by a vote of 195 to 97. 

The Bloc joined with the NDP and the Liberals in supporting closure. But four Liberal MPs voted against the motion and two were not present for the vote. The Liberals are making voting on extending the House sitting a free vote.

Later, one of the MPs that were not present, Liberal MP Roger Gallaway, spoke on the floor of the House against the motion to extend the sitting. 

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