Demonstrators throng Parliament Hill to support coalition

Stephen Harper turns his back on workers to save his own job, says James Clancy

Ottawa (4 Dec. 2008) - Demonstrators swarmed Parliament Hill Thursday to show their support for a coalition government to replace the teetering minority administration of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Chanting "Make Parliament Work" and "Let MPs Vote", a boisterous crowd of demonstrators gathered in front of the Peace Tower to back a proposed coalition government that would be formed by the Liberals and New Democrats with support from the Bloc Québécois.
 

Demonstrators make their voices heard on Parliament Hill
'Make Parliament Work'	'The 62% Majority'
NUPGE president James Clancy with OPSEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas
Attack the Recession	Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion
NDP Leader Jack Layton
OPSEU members show flags
'Yes'	Liberal and NDP
Saying yes in both languages

Members of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) and its Components were among the demonstrators who gathered in Ottawa to take part in the demonstration.

It was announced during the rally that the Governor General had accepted a request from Harper to prorogue Parliament until Jan. 26, allowing the Conservatives to escape defeat in a confidence vote that had been scheduled for Dec. 8. No vote can now be held until after Parliament returns.

"Our country is facing an economic crisis," says NUPGE president James Clancy.

"While governments around the world are acting to stimulate their economies, our prime minister is shutting down Parliament and turning his back on the workers of Canada in order to save his own job. This is not what Canadian workers need or deserve in a time of crisis."

Political leaders speak

"For the first time in the history of Canada, the prime minister of Canada is running away from the Parliament of Canada,” Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion told the demonstrators.

“The prime minister has decided to put the locks on the doors of the House of Commons,” added NDP Leader Jack Layton. "We won’t give up on our objective.”

Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe called Harper's actions anti-democratic and "unbecoming of a prime minister". NUPGE