So the liberlas had a non confidence vote today meaning Canada will now go to the 5th election in less than 10 years. Is Ignatieff just a glutton for punishment? There is no chance in hell the liberals will even be able to achieve a minority government, so this will just end up being another colossal waste of taxpayers dollars.
Matt Gurney Mar 25, 2011 â 12:27 PM ET | Last Updated: Mar 25, 2011 2:21 PM ET
As noted here, evidence of the 2008 coalition agreement between the Liberals, NPD and the Bloc, has disappeared from the Liberalsâ website. This comes shortly after Mr. Ignatieff, when asked whether he would again back a coalition if the Liberals fail to win the upcoming election, forcefully answered a different question. No oneâs sure exactly what the question he was answering was, but it had something to do with multi-coloured doors. Maybe it was like Parliamentary Jeopardy, and the reporter who could supply the correct question for Mr. Ignatieffâs non-sequitor answer might have made a bit of scratch. Not that the party can afford much. Maybe it would be a left-over Stephane Dion green scarf.
Alas, it seems like the Liberals have decided that their strategy for dealing with the mediaâs questions about the coalition issue is going to be loud humming and the insertion of fingers into ear canals (their own, one would hope). âOh, hi there, ole chap, I see your lips moving, but I canât quite make out what youâre asking. Something about a cowâs ignition?â
Itâs obvious why theyâd want to avoid answering the question. The last time the Liberals mused openly about a coalition, the Tories jumped to support levels they havenât been able to visit until, well, now. But the problem the Liberals face is that a coalition requires at least two parties, and in this case the other party is perfectly content to yap about how nifty they find the whole idea. The Liberals donât actually think they can dodge the issue for an entire campaign, with the NDP blabbing about it on their left and the Tories screaming about it on the right, do they? Do they?
Based on the current poll numbers (which must at this early point be treated with caution), the Tories are set for a majority. But itâs still very possible, even likely, that theyâll be held to yet another minority, in which case virtually everyone in the country assumes the left-leaning parties will ponder another coalition. Theyâd be mad not to, and they do, indeed, have parliamentary tradition on their side for such a move. Itâs democratically legitimate and perfectly legal (the frightening prospect of the Blocâs involvement does not sit well with many Canadians, but distasteful as it is, it doesnât break any laws.)
The problem facing the Liberals is that while a coalition is constitutionally legitimate, it remains to be seen whether Canadian voters will find it politically palatable. And the longer the Liberals act like they have cotton in their ears whenever the question is posed to them, the more difficult it will become to sell an otherwise viable option to voters, before or after the election. A voter who might be inclined to accept/tolerate a Liberal-NDP coalition (with or without the Bloc) might still be put off by the Liberals refusing to discuss it. This time, itâll be the Liberals being accused of having a hidden agenda. And donât imagine for one minute the Tories wouldnât love a chance to hoist the Liberals with that particular petard.
If the vote breaks the right way, Mr. Ignatieff might just become prime minister. But heâll have to play his cards very, very carefully for that to happen. He should consider, now, the implications of spending six weeks attacking the Conservatives over their ethics while at the same time desperately, and transparently, trying to hide critical information from the voters. He needs to make his position clear now.
National Post
mgurney@nationalpost.com
Matt Gurney Mar 25, 2011 â 12:27 PM ET | Last Updated: Mar 25, 2011 2:21 PM ET
As noted here, evidence of the 2008 coalition agreement between the Liberals, NPD and the Bloc, has disappeared from the Liberalsâ website. This comes shortly after Mr. Ignatieff, when asked whether he would again back a coalition if the Liberals fail to win the upcoming election, forcefully answered a different question. No oneâs sure exactly what the question he was answering was, but it had something to do with multi-coloured doors. Maybe it was like Parliamentary Jeopardy, and the reporter who could supply the correct question for Mr. Ignatieffâs non-sequitor answer might have made a bit of scratch. Not that the party can afford much. Maybe it would be a left-over Stephane Dion green scarf.
Alas, it seems like the Liberals have decided that their strategy for dealing with the mediaâs questions about the coalition issue is going to be loud humming and the insertion of fingers into ear canals (their own, one would hope). âOh, hi there, ole chap, I see your lips moving, but I canât quite make out what youâre asking. Something about a cowâs ignition?â
Itâs obvious why theyâd want to avoid answering the question. The last time the Liberals mused openly about a coalition, the Tories jumped to support levels they havenât been able to visit until, well, now. But the problem the Liberals face is that a coalition requires at least two parties, and in this case the other party is perfectly content to yap about how nifty they find the whole idea. The Liberals donât actually think they can dodge the issue for an entire campaign, with the NDP blabbing about it on their left and the Tories screaming about it on the right, do they? Do they?
Based on the current poll numbers (which must at this early point be treated with caution), the Tories are set for a majority. But itâs still very possible, even likely, that theyâll be held to yet another minority, in which case virtually everyone in the country assumes the left-leaning parties will ponder another coalition. Theyâd be mad not to, and they do, indeed, have parliamentary tradition on their side for such a move. Itâs democratically legitimate and perfectly legal (the frightening prospect of the Blocâs involvement does not sit well with many Canadians, but distasteful as it is, it doesnât break any laws.)
The problem facing the Liberals is that while a coalition is constitutionally legitimate, it remains to be seen whether Canadian voters will find it politically palatable. And the longer the Liberals act like they have cotton in their ears whenever the question is posed to them, the more difficult it will become to sell an otherwise viable option to voters, before or after the election. A voter who might be inclined to accept/tolerate a Liberal-NDP coalition (with or without the Bloc) might still be put off by the Liberals refusing to discuss it. This time, itâll be the Liberals being accused of having a hidden agenda. And donât imagine for one minute the Tories wouldnât love a chance to hoist the Liberals with that particular petard.
If the vote breaks the right way, Mr. Ignatieff might just become prime minister. But heâll have to play his cards very, very carefully for that to happen. He should consider, now, the implications of spending six weeks attacking the Conservatives over their ethics while at the same time desperately, and transparently, trying to hide critical information from the voters. He needs to make his position clear now.
National Post
mgurney@nationalpost.com