FACT CHECK: Absent Liberals have been Harper's accomplice

Yesterday, Paul Martin described New Democrat Leader Jack Layton as “Stephen Harper's accomplice”:

A strange comment from an elected MP who has taken a pass on the 43 opportunities he’s had to defeat the Harper government.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:

"Karen Redman, Liberal Party whip, said she has no problem with [Lasalle-Emard MP Paul] Martin being absent from the House. She said he keeps her aware of where he is and shows up for votes when he is asked to. "
- Montreal Gazette, 2 April 2008

"Former prime minister Paul Martin, who remains a Liberal MP, has the worst voting record of all. He has not voted once this session."
- Edmonton Journal, 28 March 2008

"Absent Liberals under fire for giving Tories de facto majority"
- headline, Ottawa Citizen, 27 March 2008

"Layton's call came after a study of MPs voting records by the Ottawa Citizen published last week revealed Martin had the worst voting record of the 308 MPs and hadn't voted once during the current session of Parliament. By comparison, Layton and Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe had voted 73 times, Prime Minister Stephen Harper 49 times and Stephane Dion 33 times."
- Montreal Gazette, 1 April 2008

“Despite insisting they were opposed to the Throne speech, the Afghan mission extension, the Tories’ crime bill, their environmental proposals and their immigration reforms, the Libs have nonetheless been the lynchpins in passing each one.”
– Lorne Gunter, National Post, June 11, 2008.

“Across the country, [the] media is observing Liberal MPs falling into virtual comas.”
- Sudbury Star, May 5, 2008

"The Liberals make a great show of blaming the NDP for the current government's existence, but the lie is transparent. The NDP keeps showing up to vote against the government. The Liberals don't. Of course not: it's their government too."
- Paul Wells, Macleans, March 31, 2008