The Harper government introduced a confidence motion Thursday on its anti-crime bill. It called on the Liberal-dominated senate to speed up passage of the act. Conservatives are threatening to force an election on the issue, if the senate does not move quickly enough.
Bill C-2, the Tackling Violent Crime Act, which consists of five bills dealing with violent crimes, dangerous offenders, and the age of sexual consent, passed the House of Commons in late November, just before a Christmas break that ended in late January.
The Conservatives confidence motion calls on the Senate to pass the bill by no later than March 1.
"We're looking for the House of Commons to restate its desire to see this bill become law," Government House leader Peter Van Loan told reporters on Thursday.
Van Loan said he'd like to see a vote in the House of Commons by next week. It could come as soon as Monday.
"We're assuming it will pass, if it isn't passed, it's a confidence motion," he said.
"We've made it clear that the Tackling Violent Crime Act... was a confidence matter... (and) this motion asking that it be passed will be a confidence matter as well."
On CTV's Canada AM Thursday, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said the Senate was not acting in the interests of Canadians.
"I've had senators tell me they can do what they want but I think it's what they should do and what Canadians want them to do," he said.
Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae said the crime bill was "not a contentious matter."
"I think what they're doing is positioning themselves, you could hear the minister winding up his rhetoric on how the Tories have a monopoly on being opposed to crime and in favour of virtue," Rae told CTV's Canada AM immediately following Nicholson's appearance.
"We're all opposed to crime, we all want to take measures that will deal with it and we will deal with it."
The Senate, which is an independent body, is not bound by confidence motions passed in the House. If the Senate does not pass the bill by the Mar. 1 deadline proposed in the Tory motion, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has the option of going to the governor general, who could decide that it is untenable for his government to govern.
Â鶹´«Ã½ has also confirmed that the government will introduce its federal budget on February 26. A vote would follow in early March, creating another chance for an early election.
With files from The Canadian Press
