Action stations, actions stations, set condition one throughout the ship. (Note: if you are not a nerd please feel free to skip the next sentence.) Some may recall that during the first season of Battlestar Galactica, the fleet had to jump every 33 minutes to stay a step ahead of the cylons. The upshot was that the crew was in a constant state of readiness and the exhaustion that came with it.
A minority isn't that much different... except we're not in space, most of us don't have cool nicknames like "Helo" or "Starbuck," and instead of the cylons we are in constant readiness for confidence votes. The budget is one of those confidence votes. In fact, it's probably the most important confidence vote of the year.
The Ontario budget vote is Tuesday.
In previous posts I've commented on the consultations that New Democrats engaged in so that we could put together some proposals that add a dose of fairness to the budget. The proposals we have put forward are eminently reasonable: they're costed, they don't add a nickel to the deficit (I'd say penny, but thanks to Jim Flaherty that's going to be an adage that will soon be lost to the ages) and they make this budget a little less harsh.
In fact, in order to ensure we can invest in local healthcare, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), the North, and jobs, we put some water in our wine, making compromises such as removing HST off home heating from our proposal. We'll fight for it on the floor of the legislature, but that will happen on another day.
Now it's up to the Liberals. We've demonstrated we are responsible and reasonable. Will they meet us?
In short, we have been eminently practical: We are sticking up for Ontarians who would be hit hard by the budget, and we're doing it in a way that it is fiscally responsible. We are willing to make Ontario work.
So. 33 minutes.
Will Dalton McGuinty accept a sensible and practical package of proposals that make this budget better, or will he force an election?
Now we wait. We're tired, but we're ready.