新国会的政治战火：这些议员在吵什么

1、Economy 国会主打经济牌

国会复会头一天，联邦执政党总理哈珀Stephen Harper和党领Tom Mulcair唐民凯，两雄相遇，互相攻击 :

The main event in the House of Commons was an extended confrontation between the NDP leader and the Prime Minister, prowling around each other like the alpha male parliamentarians they are. ( John Ivison, National Post columnist )
An alpha male is the dominant male having the most power in a particular group of animals or people.

It’s all economy, all the time.经济问题，肯定是国会未来一年的主打议程：The predominant theme to the question period is the same theme that promises to dominate the fall session of Parliament .

国会首天的攻守战，旗鼓相当，煞是好看。The first day volleys of attacks and responses in the Question Period are exciting to watch:

Muclair首先发难 : “ Hundreds of thousands of quality, well-paying manufacturing jobs have disappeared. The Canadian dollar, artificially elevated, is harming export industries.”

唐民凯质询总理：“Does the prime minister realize it is time to change his economic strategy?”

Harper 在当回应唐民凯有关经济困境的5个问题时﹐不忘在每个问题补充一句话﹐反击说新民主党一心只想加税。Harper repeatedly attacked : “We still have work to do, but we cannot, as the NDP has proposed, create jobs by raising levies and taxes.”
他辩说：“Canada is part of a global economy with a lot of uncertainty, but the Canadian economy has one of the best records for job creation in the world.”

哈珀认为﹐全球经济动盪﹐加拿大是少数保持经济稳定的国家﹐因为他的政府推行明智的经济计划：The Conservatives are fighting to defend their reputation as good managers of the economy while striving to paint the opposition NDP as a threat to the economic stability.

With 1.4 million unemployed and the weak U.S. and European economies threatening to drag down Canada, the economic picture is indeed fragile, as Prime Minster Stephen Harper says at every occasion.

实则上，经济问题无疑是下次联邦大选决胜之关键，但目前看不到两党太大的差别:

“Mr. Mulcair clearly understands the economy is the forum where the next election will be won or lost. He has to show Canadians he can be trusted with the tiller. But in doing so, he may inadvertently show that the leaders of the two tribes are more alike than they would ever care to admit” ( John Ivison, National Post columnist).

2、Omnibus Budget Bill反对党不满政府强推财政预算新议案

国会复会前bitterly divided the Parliament严重分化而又争议不休的战役Battle of the Budget — the sequel，财政预算案续集，料将再起风云：

Opposition MPs, who staged a 23-hour voting marathon in a vain attempt to derail the Harper government’s agenda last spring, will be readying for another showdown when the Conservatives table a second massive budget implementation bill.

A showdown in political terms is a fight that will finally settle a disagreement the has lasted for a long time 决出胜负的政治较量。

国会众议院领袖范龙Government House Leader Peter Van Loan 认为即将登场的upcoming budget bill 财政预算案，是秋季立法议程最重要的奠基石 the “cornerstone” of the Conservatives’ fall legislative agenda藉此创造就业和促进经济 增长 :

“We need to have that budget in place, all the elements of it, for a strong fiscal position for job creation, economic growth.”

新民主党的党领古伦NathanCullen认为将财政预算不相关的东西，捆绑在数百页的综合预算法案，是打假球，不民主，立下极坏先例, 他反对财政部长重施故技，践踏国会议员的立法权。

“The last experience with one of these omnibus bills was not just terrible for Parliament, it was bad for the country.”

3、The China Question反对党斥外国投资法规含糊

联邦政府审批151亿元中海油收购卡加里Nexen尼克松公司方案，势将引起争议。

反对党批评哈珀政府迟迟未能釐清Investment Act外国投资法规Net benefit含糊的定义﹐ 程序神秘﹐有太多酌情权﹐包括商业以外的政治压力。

保守党Calgary West MP国会议员安德斯(Rob Anders)质疑尼克松併购案﹐党内众说纷纭，Conservative causus议员团内其他国会议员也有同感，认为China is not a “benevolent” country 中国“为国不仁”。 Rob Anders, a persistent China critic, appears to be focusing his concern on the need for conditions on the takeover, rather than hoping his government strikes down the $15.1 –billion deal outright.

新民主党能源及天然资源评论员朱理民(Peter Julian)促请政府﹐为尼克松收购方案举行公听会﹐他又批评哈珀政府偏听 中方投资者说客之言。

4、Abortion Motion堕胎动议

新一届国会最先要处理的private- member’s bill私人法桉，关乎胎儿生命的法律定义，涉及极具争议性的堕胎敏感议题。

A motion is a formal proposal that is discussed and voted on at a Parliament meeting.

保守党国会议员Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth’s private-member’s motion would require Parliament to re-evaluate the point at which a baby legally becomes a human being- a motion that critics say is a backdoor attempt to criminalize abortion.

总理哈珀表明反对，不想掀起堕胎刑事化争论，损失女性选票，相信议桉会胎死腹中。 Mr. Harper has made it clear he opposes the motion.

Mr. Woodworth conceded he is unlikely to get the votes he needs to move the initiative forward.

5、Carbon Tax Redux 保守党炮轰唐民凯挺征碳税

一如所料，国会周一复会﹐总理哈珀和保守党议员马上先下手为强，重槌出击，全力炮轰新民主党领袖Tom Mucair唐民凯 ，说他存心开征碳税。The Conservatives are accusing the New Democrats of wanting to slap on a carbon tax.

唐民凯被认为环保有损经济、破坏国家统一的言论，给执政党妖魔化，早己耳熟能详，今天再添加碳税倡导者的恶名： “Mulcair’s comments on environmental sustainability and the Alberta oilsands have been deemed by the Conservatives to be a threat to national unity, and now he and his gang are labeled a bunch of carbon taxers. (Tim Harper, Toronto Star, 19-9-12)

唐民凯和前任党领林顿(Jack Layton)确有提议建立碳交易制度﹐藉此减少温室气体排放量。哈珀政府倡导同样一个建议，也有多年的纪录。

唐民凯拒绝在众议院回应保守党﹐反驳他们的碳税论。他说﹐那是睁大眼睛撒谎。他在众议院外面说﹕新民主党优先急务是经济﹐保守党急务是编故事﹐讹说新民主党不是。

心水清的《National Post》专栏作家John Ivison说得好：There is no real difference between the orange and blue versions of cap and trade. The political difference is that one has the word “tax” in it, which would explain why the Conservatives are now trying to use the terms interchangeably despite having once championed the same policy.

国会内，国会外都是战场，松懈不得，太君子也不成。

So far, New Democrats have been up to the task in responding to Tory’s attacks.
Toronto Star《多伦多星报》评论员Tim Harper分析政治形势说：“When facing a government that never stops campaigning, the opposition will have to use a lot of its time in the spotlight parrying rather than proposing. ”

To parry is to defend yourself against somebody who is attacking you by turning or pushing aside their punch or weapons. You can even parry and then throw a punch.

国会战场内的烫手火球，陆续有来：More fireballs are ahead.

保守党绝不手软，试看反对党如何接招。

No Tory charge is too ridiculous to fight back.