Editing Jack Layton (section)

===Continued Conservative minority government===
{{main|2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute}}
[[File:Jack Layton 2.jpg|thumb|upright=0.5|left|Layton during the 2008 election campaign]]
The [[40th Canadian Parliament|40th session of Parliament]] began on November 27, 2008, with a fiscal update by the Conservatives that outlined their agenda for the upcoming term. This included a temporary suspension of federal employees' right to strike and a removal of monetary subsidies for political parties.<ref>[https://www.thestar.com/article/544582 Opposition threatens to topple Tories over update] Richard Brennan. ''Toronto Star''. November 27, 2008.</ref> All three opposition parties including the NDP stated that they could not support this position. Layton along with Liberal leader Stéphane Dion and Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe began negotiations to form a coalition that would replace the Conservatives as the government. The three opposition parties planned to table a motion of non-confidence in the House of Commons, and counted on the likelihood that the Governor General [[Michaëlle Jean]], would invite the coalition to govern instead of dissolving parliament and calling an election so soon after the last election.{{citation needed|date=August 2011}}

On December 1, 2008, the three opposition leaders signed an accord that laid down the basis for an agreement on a coalition government. The proposed structure would be a coalition between the Liberals and the NDP, with the New Democrats getting six Cabinet positions. Both parties agreed to continue the coalition until June 30, 2011. The Bloc Québécois would not be formally part of the government but would provide support on confidence motions for 18 months.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/liberals-ndp-bloc-sign-deal-on-proposed-coalition-1.700119 Liberals, NDP, Bloc sign deal on proposed coalition] CBC News. December 1, 2008.</ref>

Opposition to the proposed coalition developed in all provinces except Quebec.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ctv2.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081212.wcogagnon15/business/Business/Business/&id=RTGAM_20081212_wcogagnon15|title=Buying time and saving the Liberals|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]|date=December 15, 2008|author=Gagnon, Lysiane|access-date=March 12, 2014|location=Toronto|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313114820/http://ctv2.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081212.wcogagnon15/business/Business/Business/%26id%3DRTGAM_20081212_wcogagnon15|archive-date=March 13, 2014}}</ref> On December 4, 2008, the governor general granted Prime Minister Harper's request to [[Prorogation in Canada|prorogue]] Parliament until January 26, 2009, at which time Harper had planned to introduce the budget. Dion had since been ousted from the leadership of the Liberals and his successor, [[Michael Ignatieff]], had distanced himself from the coalition.

Layton remained committed to ousting the Harper government,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ctv2.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090114.wxopposition14/business/Business/Business/&id=RTGAM_20090114_wxopposition14|title=NDP 'unlikely' to support budget, favours coalition|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]|date=January 14, 2009|access-date=March 12, 2014|location=Toronto|first=Gloria|last=Galloway|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313114942/http://ctv2.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090114.wxopposition14/business/Business/Business/%26id%3DRTGAM_20090114_wxopposition14|archive-date=March 13, 2014}}</ref><ref>[https://etacanadaonline.com/] [https://etacanadaonline.com/] {{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>{{Irrelevant citation|date=August 2021}} pledging that the NDP would vote against the Conservative budget regardless of what it contained.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rabble.ca/news/2015/08/remember-jack-layton-and-build-better-canada|title=NDP's budget position may be senseless, but at least it's consistent|publisher=Network.nationalpost.com|access-date=June 5, 2010}}</ref> Layton urged Ignatieff's Liberal Party to topple the Conservatives before the shelf life of the coalition expired; constitutional experts said that four months after the last election, if the government fell, the governor general would likely grant the prime minister's request to dissolve Parliament instead of inviting the coalition.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2009/01/26/8145701-sun.html|title=Clock ticking on coalition's chances|last=Harris|first=Kathleen|date=January 26, 2009|newspaper=Toronto Sun|access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref>
[[File:Jack Layton June 28 2009 Toronto Pride Parade.jpg|thumb|alt=Jack Layton appearing in Toronto's Pride Parade 2009|Layton making an appearance in Toronto's Pride Parade in 2009]]
On January 28, 2009, the Liberals agreed to support the Conservative budget with an amendment, ending the possibility of the coalition, so Layton said "Today we have learned that you can't trust Mr. Ignatieff to oppose Mr. Harper. If you oppose Mr. Harper and you want a new government, I urge you to support the NDP."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ignatieff-okays-budget-with-conditions/article1147795/ |title=Ignatieff okays budget, with conditions|work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=January 28, 2009|access-date=March 12, 2014|location=Toronto|first1=Campbell |last1=Clark |first2=Jane |last2=Taber }}</ref>

In March 2009, the NDP, under Layton's leadership, re-introduced a motion (first passed June 3, 2008) which, if implemented, would allow [[Canada and Iraq War resisters|conscientious objectors to the Iraq War to remain in Canada]]. The motion again passed March 30, 2009, by 129–125, but it was non-binding.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=2&DocId=3781662#OOB-2683958 |title=40th PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION, EDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 036, CONTENTS, Monday, March&nbsp;30, 2009 |publisher=parl.gc.ca |access-date=June 5, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126040806/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=2&DocId=3781662 |archive-date=November 26, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Alex|last=Cooper|title=Federal court to hear American war resister's appeal|url=https://www.thestar.com/article/622278|work=Toronto Star|date=April 21, 2009|access-date=April 23, 2009}}</ref> In a [[leadership review]] vote held at the NDP's August 2009 federal policy convention, 89.25% of delegates voted against holding a [[leadership convention]] to replace Layton.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ndp-name-change-debate-fizzles/article1253745|title=This page is available to GlobePlus subscribers|work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |access-date=June 5, 2010|location=Toronto}}</ref> In October 2009, Layton paired up with the [[Stephen Lewis]] Foundation to raise money for [[HIV/AIDS]] affected families in Africa. As part of the foundation's A Dare to Remember campaign, Layton busked on a busy street corner.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wiebe|first=Lindsey|url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/entertainment/raise-money-for-aids-by-going-out-on-a-limb-56534832.html|title=Raise money for AIDS by going out on a limb|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|access-date=June 5, 2010}}</ref>
[[File:Jack Layton in Town Hall Meeting in 2010.jpg|left|thumb|Layton and [[Rathika Sitsabaiesan]] with other NDP members observing Hindu religious rituals at Town Hall before attending a meeting organized by the [[Tamil Canadian|Canadian Tamil]] community in 2010]]
Layton's son, [[Mike Layton|Mike]] was elected to Toronto City Council in the [[2010 Toronto municipal election|2010 city council election]].<ref name=victory>[http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/10/25/mike-layton-joins-parents-in-victory/ "Mike Layton joins parents in victory"]. ''[[National Post]]'', October 25, 2010.</ref>

In early 2011, Layton was featured in an episode of [[CBC Television]]'s ''[[Make the Politician Work]]''.<ref>[[John Doyle (critic)|John Doyle]], "Forget royal weddings. Give me the Queen of Punk". ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', January 22, 2011.</ref>

The Conservative government was defeated in a [[Motion of no confidence|no-confidence vote]] on March 25, 2011, with the motion gaining full support of all opposition parties including the New Democrats, after the government was found in [[contempt of Parliament]].<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/government-s-defeat-sets-up-election-call-1.1068749 Government's defeat sets up election call]. ''CBC News'', March 25, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2011.</ref> It was the first time in [[Contempt of Parliament#Contempt citation cases for governments|Commonwealth history]] that a government lost the confidence of the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]] on the grounds of contempt of Parliament. The no-confidence motion was carried with a vote of 156 in favour of the motion, and 145 against,<ref>[http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3&DocId=5072532#Div-204 "Business of Supply (Division 204)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402084008/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3&DocId=5072532#Div-204 |date=April 2, 2011 }}. 40th Parliament, 3rd Session – Edited Hansard, No. 149, March 25, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2011. The motion presented by the Leader of the Opposition was "That the House agree with the finding of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs that the government is in contempt of Parliament, which is unprecedented in Canadian parliamentary history, and consequently, the House has lost confidence in the government",</ref> thus resulting in the prime minister advising a dissolution of Parliament and a [[2011 Canadian federal election#Contempt of Parliament|federal election]].