As the Liberals attempt to discover whether or not Stephen Harper bribed a dying man, the NDP decides that it must collectively bathe its pet hamster. Not that they're inactive up there on Parliament Hill. The problem is, Stephen Harper likes what they're doing!
Stephen Harper accused Liberal leader Stéphane Dion of smear tactics and praised NDP Leader Jack Layton for asking about what he considered more serious matters - the leak of Canadian diplomatic information that has affected the Democratic presidential campaigns.
The kiss of death for an opposition party: to be loved by the government.
Meanwhile, it looks like Quadra is safe.
Meanwhile, a question: if Bill C-484 can be quietly eviscerated in committee, or dies in the Senate, isn't that good enough?
Meanwhile, the MSM shows a pulse on Bill C-484. Thank God for Zerbie.
BCL,
ReplyDeleteRick Mercer, Liberal supporter, is outraged with his party's failure to do its job, which is to provide meaningful opposition to the government by way of criticism of its policies and the presenting of alternative policies as the putative government in waiting.
He even did a video lampooning the Liberals about it. It has an edge to it, he's mad, like the rest of the Liberal base. Spin all you want BCL, but there are three parties out there who are ready to take on Harper if Dion isn't up to it - the NDP, the Greens and in Quebec the Bloc.
Not just ready to take on Harper, LS, but with Harper's stamp of approval.
ReplyDeleteNot sure who's advising Harper these days - Ian Brodie otherwise seems occupied - but he's getting bad advice.
ReplyDeleteIn the campaign - should the Liberals ever decide to vote against Harper - New Dems can now point to this to deflect Conservative attacks and make Harper appear more inconsistant than normal.
BTW: What are Liberals going to do about the NDP's Climate Change Act confidence vote? Vote with the NDP, or let Harper have his way on the environment?
The kiss of death of an opposition party: to have a leader who is disrespected by all and sundry.
ReplyDeleteThe NDP is putting its money where its mouth is - and hence garners respect:
March 5, 2008 — Mr. Layton (Toronto—Danforth) — That, in the opinion of the House, this government’s budgetary policies have been marked by an unbalanced approach of corporate giveaways to the big banks and big polluters and have failed to address the priorities ordinary Canadians care about, such as health care, housing, infrastructure, manufacturing and forestry, climate change, child care, Aboriginals, women, seniors, poverty, and therefore, that this House has lost confidence in this government.
March 5, 2008 — Mr. Layton (Toronto—Danforth) — That the House note this government’s two years of inaction in the fight against poverty in Canada and failure to build on such initiatives as the Canada Child Tax Benefit, affordable housing, literacy, and the Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative and that for these and other reasons the House has lost confidence in this government.
March 5, 2008 — Mr. Layton (Toronto—Danforth) — That the House regret this government’s failure to live up to Canada’s international climate change agreements, and it’s refusal to bring forward for debate and vote, the Clean Air and Climate Change Act, the climate change plan called for by a majority vote of the House, and that therefore the House no longer has confidence in this government.
March 5, 2008 — Mr. Layton (Toronto—Danforth) — That, in the opinion of the House, this government has failed to introduce policies which will diminish the inequality between men and women, in particular by its refusal to provide adequate resources and policies governing child care; legal assistance; long-term care; home care; health care; support for women’s equality seeking groups; support for seniors; support for Aboriginal and minority women; pay equity; reform of employment insurance; support for preventing violence against women; public housing and transportation and other services so vital to the hard working women of this country, and therefore the House has lost confidence in this government.
Layton is the de facto leader of the opposition because he's acting like one, unlike you know who.
While the NDP brings non-confidence motions in the government based on policy, the Liberals bring non-confidence motions in its fellow opposition parties - "Liberals to move non-confidence in . . . other opposition parties" (That's the Canadian Press headline.)
ReplyDeleteCalgary Grit nails the Liberal party logic, or rather complete lack thereof, on that:
"The current government does not deserve to be defeated.
Not only should they not be defeated, but past governments should not be defeated.
It's important to condemn parties for defeating past governments, no matter how unpopular those governments were.
After all, defeating those past governments gave us the current government...
...who does not deserve to be defeated."
Paul Wells, on his blog, simply calls it self-parody. There's really no better word.
NDP goes gently on Cadman affair and Harper compliments Layton...all this huggy bear, kissy face is getting a little nauziating.
ReplyDeleteThere's one thing to 'act' like a leader and quite another to be one - Layton - PM - choke....
Jack Layton and Stephen Harper have a lot in common. They both want Stephen Harper to be prime minister. Harper's reasons are obvious, Layton's are misguided optimism over replacing the Liberals.
ReplyDeleteNewsflash, Jack: If you aren't comfortably over 20% with Dion leading the Liberals and Harper leading the Conservatives, it's sure not going to happen under the next Liberal leader, whoever that is.
Pat Martin, suffering from extreme projection syndrome, cries out that his opponents are crazy, and part of the lunatic fringe. He passes by mirrors and screams at his reflection "LOOK! There's one of those insane extremists!!"
ReplyDeleteThat guy is the scariest MP out there.
When it comes the the NDP, wake me up when there's a vote or a poll.
ReplyDeleteTi-guy,
ReplyDeleteIf it's not approved by Liberal Party Central you won't agree with it. On the other hand,even if it's an inherently contradictory position, if it comes from Liberal Party Central you'll sign on. Maintaining contradictory assertions has never stopped you in the past. Come to think of it you wouldn't know or acknowledge a contradiction if you tripped on one.
Speaking of the NDP environment motion - why was Jack Layton attending the CanWest party with Harper instead of honouring our environmental Nobel prize winner?
ReplyDeleteMaintaining contradictory assertions has never stopped you in the past. Come to think of it you wouldn't know or acknowledge a contradiction if you tripped on one.
ReplyDeleteYup. You're a sock-puppet passing as a Dipper. Dippers never make so many baseless assertions (and never, ever sound so stupid), and I haven't entered into much of a discussion with any in a long time to think you have any real information about any contradictions on my part. The only contradictions I tend to overlook when it comes to Liberals are the political horse-trading and gamesmanhip that are simply unavoidable...with any party.
If I need to know anything about the NDP, I follow the media (and NDP blogs) and read the information the Party itself puts out. When it comes to caring about the Party's impact, all I'm interested in is votes and polls.
Our inter-partisan discourse would be greatly improved if people understood better when it's worth haranguing other partisans, and when it's not.
As for sock-puppets...well, I guess the CPC has to spend that money somehow.
Find another pseudonym, "Left Hook."
Jack Layton once said, in the run-up to the last Liberal leadership race, that the Liberal Party of Canada would never elect Stephane Dion as Leader because he was a principled person.
ReplyDeleteOf course he was wrong, on both counts.
The Liberals did elect Dion and it turns out that defending his principles takes a back seat to hanging on to his political skin.
Rememeber the little green scarves?
He's waving a little white flags now.
What a load of tripe.
ReplyDeleteThe NDP has done more to point out and publicize the lies and broken promises of the Cons than any other party.
At least the NDP have a clear and idea of where they want to go.
The Liberals are all about political expedience.So please,a few facts and less talk about phony perception.