Canada PoliticsNew Democrats, Conservatives weigh-in on U.S. government shutdown
Americans are bracing for their first government shutdown in 17 years all thanks to political wrangling over Obamacare.
If Congress can't reach a deal on a temporary budget bill by midnight tonight, funding for all non-essential federal services will cease and 800,000 federal employees won't be paid.
Some experts suggest that the shutdown could mean a multi-billion dollar hit to the U.S. economy. If that's the case, maybe Canada — whose economy is so closely tied to the United States' — should be bracing themselves as well.
[ Related: Obamacare push accelerates as U.S. government shutdown nears ]
The impasse, and its potential implications for Canada, have driven the Conservatives and the NDP into the unusual move of commenting on an American political situation.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty released this statement:
It is my hope that Congress and the White House come to a resolution regarding the current spending and debt limit impasse, and that they will also develop a plan that will put the US fiscal position on a long-run sustainable path.
This is a reminder that while Canada’s economy remains strong, we are still vulnerable to uncertainties outside of our borders, especially in the US and Europe.
In Canada, we are focused on the priorities of Canadians -- jobs, growth and long term prosperity. Global uncertainty reminds us how important it is to maintain that focus.
We will continue to monitor all global economic situations carefully.”
That wasn't enough for NDP leader Thomas Mulcair who used political wrangling in the U.S. to complain about the House being prorogued.
"We would like our parliamentary institutions to be working, to be operating," Mulcair said during a press conference in Ottawa, adding that a shutdown means delays for people and goods at the border.
"It will have a strong hit on their economy. It's 800,000 that won't be getting their paycheques. But it will have — as a consequence — a direct effect on the Canadian economy. We should be talking about it.
"Canadians have a right to have their elected officials discussing these things in an open forum which is [the] Parliament for which they voted. It's the parliament that's the cornerstone of our democratic institutions."
(Photo courtesy of Reuters)
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