Mr. Harper may know that, were the public to believe he was trying to engineer his government's defeat, his popularity could evaporate.
In other words, the Prime Minister enjoys majority-government levels of support, provided he does nothing with it.
Otherwise, yeah, the poll sucks (a string of them have been sucking, actually).
But surely the response to a few bad polls is not to run around like a chicken with its head cut off. To publicly smack down an MP for a private member's bill that will never see the light of day anyway--that was, in an earlier incarnation, a Conservative bill--because of a talk radio AstroTurf campaign, reeks of desperation. And this:
A spokesperson for Ignatieff said that Sgro issued her release to make it clear that the legislation was not party policy, but that MPs are not forced to vote in any particular way on a private member’s bill.
...sending an underling out to wield the axe in the leader's place, is entirely lacking in chivalry and courage.
BCL,
ReplyDeleteare you blaming MI or Liberals for publicly throwing Ruby's Bill under the bus?
or
are you blaming the PM?
Wow, having trouble readint ther pal?
ReplyDeleteSeems pretty clear he is chastising the LPC to me.
BCL - agree with what you have said here. Weren't there some private member CPC bills that the leader said publicly he would no support? I have some memory of that - gun regisry maybe, or ssm?
Or maybe I am wrong. Am just too lazy to look it up.
Pretty good post.
ReplyDeleteIt's reasonable to assume that the high polls for the PC's relate directly to dissatisfaction with the thought of another election (everyone but Warren Kinsella could see that coming).. and so, no doubt, an immediate call by the PM would temper those polls.
And, you're also right, the curret Dhalla bill, while an obvious piece of political pandering to a high-immigrant constituency, was no less a piece of political pandering when Grewal tried to do the same thing.
The LPC, and their so-called "leader", Michael Ignatieff, might be advised to cool their jets, stop being in such a hurry to regain the throne, and consolidate party support behind a coherent and cogent policy platform that creates some distinction between them and the CPC.
Sometimes there is more to political success than just screaming like a wounded badger every time the "other" party says anything. Sometimes, slow and steady wins the race.
And then again, maybe, as I've blogged, Michael Ignatieff is just a conservative mole in the LPC, and everything happening then makes abundant sense.
err.. I guess they aren't "PC's".
ReplyDeleteSorry, I'm from Alberta.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the Tories always have a few loopy private members bills in the the queue (usually abortion related). Might look through the list tonight.
ReplyDeleteAnd the there's Vellacott's petition:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/sep/09092907.html
Possibly.
ReplyDeleteGayle, BCL
Did MI advise her NOT to put this forward knowing this would bite them in the behind and raise more unwanted attention?
I don't think Ruby went rogue, she did not listen to the advice of her leadership and they sent Judy out to drop the hammer.
I am not sure how MI can win on this issue and it looks like there is a trend of MP's who don't follow his advice.
Does Ruby hold an agenda regarding positioning (sinking ship) putting out her own agenda for a future run at leadership?
Was Ruby defended by the MI during the SILLY NON story referred to as nannygate?
I don't buy-believe she is crossing to the CPC.
I do think there is a serious problem that may erupt unless the leadership pulls back from their election posturing.
Shorter CanadianNoSense: "Dalla went rogue, so the hammer came down and she was thrown under a bus."
ReplyDeleteDid I miss any other hackneyed expressions?