OTTAWA - Despite a chorus of bad publicity over the Maxime Bernier affair, the Conservative government waltzed through a series of confidence votes Monday.
Rows of Liberal benches remained vacant in a series of votes on controversial immigration reforms that are part of a larger budget-implementation bill.
All opposition parties have excoriated the Conservatives for the immigration changes, but the Liberals continued their months-long practice of abstaining on key votes.
The Liberals were taunted and laughed at by their opponents as only a handful of their members showed up for a set of 114-83 votes that took the legislation one step closer to becoming law.
But Liberal Leader Stephane Dion noted that the political gift of Bernier's resignation would never have happened if, several weeks ago, he'd brought down the government as some in his party urged him to do.
The foreign minister resigned after a string of negative stories about his relationship with an ex-girlfriend linked to criminal bikers.
He left cabinet last week after his ex revealed he'd forgotten sensitive NATO briefing documents at her house and the event made headlines in newspapers worldwide.
"So maybe sometimes it's good to expose what kind of government Canadians have today,'' Dion said.
"More and more Canadians are asking me this question: 'When, when? We want to go. We want to go (to an election).'
"So I feel that more now than it was the case some months ago. And that's good -- because indeed we need to replace this bad government.''
The immigration changes would place highly coveted skilled immigrants -- such as doctors -- on the fast-track into Canada. But it would become more difficult for others to get in.
The Liberals have called the bill an affront to Canadian values and suggest they will overturn the legislation if they win the next election.
The Commons voted three times Monday night -- once on the larger finance bill, and twice more on a bundle of NDP amendments that would essentially gut the legislation.
NDP Leader Jack Layton said it's about time Liberal rhetoric and Liberal action moved in the same direction.
"Liberals tell people they oppose immigration changes,'' Layton said.
"This is their opportunity to (show) it. If they don't stand in the House . . . and bring their members in, they're essentially saying their word is not worth the paper it's printed on.''
A government defeat on any of those votes would have triggered an election, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty told the House of Commons on Monday.
"Votes with respect to amending Bill C-50 are matters of confidence,'' Flaherty said.
"If the bill is not passed, the loss will be about $1.5 billion in key federal support in a number of areas.''
He noted that the budget bill includes $500 million for public transit, $400 million for new police officers, and $250 million for carbon capture in Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia.
The budget-implementation bill -- including the immigration changes -- will only become law if it survives a final vote in the Commons, and is subsequently adopted by the Senate.
