And with Parliament shut down, the Liberal candidate for Bruce-Grey Owen Sound was to start today in Ottawa -- unelected, but invited to join the Liberal caucus in committee sessions.
[...]
At the invitation of Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, Love said in an interview, she will be part of Liberal committees starting today in Ottawa to study job creation, governance, pensions and health care.
"I'm not an elected representative, but there is a voice for this Riding on Parliament Hill in the next couple of weeks because the Liberals are going back to work," Love said.
A stunt? Maybe, but a not a bad one when you think about it, though only available to those within driving distance of Ottawa. Hopefully Iggy appears with Ms. Love at his side to draw the contrast between paid Tory MPs who are sitting on their arses in California waiting for the Olympics to break their ennui and Lib candidates who are willing to volunteer for the good of the nation.
10 comments:
BCL.
I'm already being called a "socialist" and being told that if Ralph Klein was still leader of the Alberta PC's that I would be drummed out of the party.. because, in part, that I don't subscribe to the notion that the prorogue is not Harper's best idea.
So.
In that context, I still ask:
Is there something coming from Michael Ignatieff beyond telling us why the Conservatives are bad?
I would find the Liberal response to the prorogue more legitimate if:
a) Bob Rae hadn't don't the exact same thing, but for a longer period when he was Premier of Ontario; and
b) If it was accomanied by some indication of what THEIR plan is, and what THEY can offer that the Conservatives don't.
Iggys proposals are outlined here:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/bureau-blog/trumping-ndp-michael-ignatieff-lays-out-tough-new-prorogation-rules/article1443101/
Rae took lots of crap for proroguing back in the day. If there had been facebook back then, who knows what might have happened.
It's a very clever stunt, if so. Well done.
I'm already being called a "socialist"
You are in good company sir. I've been branded a liberal leftard since 2003 now, for refusing to support the CPoC. At this point I wear it as a badge of honour.
I do offer you this little kernel of thought for your ex-Reform cohorts. Since we are in for a long period of minority government in this country for the foreseeable future, it is entirely feasible that once Harper looses an election it could be to a Lib-NDP coalition.
Imagine Layton with real power corrupting the Libs so they can maintain government. Now imagine them proroguing as Harper has done - to avoid confidence votes - to avoid scrutiny in parliamentary committees.
Harper was wrong to do it. "But Chrétien did it" is not an excuse. If this is a concrete proposal from the Grits, and is constitutionally doable, then they just got my respect today ...and quite possibly my vote.
Bob Rae prorogued the legislature in order to avoid an investgation by a committee? Really?
TofKW:
Harper was wrong to do it. "But Chrétien did it" is not an excuse.
Exactly.
And I've read the proposals, and, in theory don't have any objection to that, and suppose it is "something". But, really, I don't think Canadians are all that affected by this prorogue issue, which is more of a political issue than an issue of substance.
Where will the Liberals be taking us, on substantive REAL issues would be my question.
The difficulty, candidly, being that when their position is relating to broad issues of honesty and accountability, I think memories of adscam are still fresh enough that most voters still have some cynicism about Liberal's taking the moral high ground.
Speaking of Harper's torture coverup, the vindictive cowardly Government of Harper has failed to fund Colvin's legal bills in violation of his rights as a civil servant:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9014948.html
Yeah. I saw that. Since Parliament is not sitting they cannot even debate this.
"I think memories of adscam are still fresh enough that most voters still have some cynicism about Liberal's taking the moral high ground."
Then again that might just be the view from where you are. From my part of Canada, adscam is just a thing of the past and something Conservatives like to whinge about. Though it loses it's weight with each move by Harper & co.
But, but, but.... ADSCAM!!! Chretien!!! Trudeau!!!!
Puleeze, is that all you Cons got?
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