I don't know what Ignatieff's problem is, but it's not like Harper's government is going to fall just because three or four Liberals have decided to vote against the budget. In particular, two Liberals from Newfoundland and Labrador are vowing to risk their plum positions on key House committees, saying the budget takes away the province's right to decide whether to get offset payments under the old rules or the new ones -- even though the province is presently in a "have" status. They and the province's Progressive Conservative premier, Danny Williams, thinks this is payback for Williams' "anyone but conservative" campaign last year.
For what it's worth, I think Iggy's position of "wait and see" and putting Harper on "probation" is wrong-headed. The time to take down the Conservatives is now. Their latest budget is anything but conservative (pardon the pun). Ignatieff should listen to his dissenters and tell his MPs to pull the plug, now. If they were the government in power, it would be a different story and the three line whip would be cracked. But as the opposition, they have some flexibility to allow for dissent from within. If an MP thinks their home province is getting screwed, they should be allowed to say so, publicly.
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7 comments:
While a Liberal-NDP coalition would have been nice, we're past that stage now.
Harper had an easy time with Dion. He could have called an election anytime and won about the same number of seats as the Conservatives have now. With the Liberals under Ignatieff, Harper doesn't have the luxury of imposing a true-blue conservative budget without facing the consequences of dealing with a stronger Liberal leader. For both the Conservatives and Liberals, they need to raise money for the next campaign.
You may want the Harper regime gone; I may want the Conservatives gone. Ignatieff may also want the Conservatives gone. However, he can be patient and wait for an election one, two, or three years from now and try to get a Liberal majority.
The Liberals under Ignatieff can support the Conservatives until the next budget. After that, they can start opposing Harper knowing that either the Bloc or NDP will take turns opposing the Liberals by supporting the Conservatives. The Bloc does not need an election right now or within one year. The same holds true for the NDP.
The Conservatives will present small 'l' liberal budgets until they get closer to an election. After that, they will start presenting conservative policies in order to shore up their base. By that time, the three opposition parties will get tired of the Conservatives and each other. Harper will get tired of the opposition. He'll as the Governor-General to dissolve parliament and call an election.
As for the few Newfoundland Liberal MPs who say that they are going to oppose the budget, Ignatieff will need to be firm with the dissenters so that other MPs won't make decisions that go against Ignatieff's. He needs to be a strong leader now or else he's doomed.
It sure would be interesting if Ignatieff allows MPs to represent the interests of their riding on this budget. I think there would be enough Liberals voting against it to bring down the Harper government. Problem is that Ignatieff detests the Coalition and wants to prop up the Harper government. So the likelihood of this happening is slim to none.
It's only democratic. And actually fits very well with the precepts of a minority parliamentary government, where the majority actually has the say and the leverage(versus PMSH's preferred prime ministerial government).
Wow, three toasters, three comments -- all within 60 seconds of each other!
SD: I have to agree, the coalition is dead. It's too bad, it could have worked and would have been very democratic (small-d).
1AL: That was my sense too. It's too bad Ignatieff didn't at least consider the idea. But as the new leader, Dion's signature didn't count for much to him.
Q: My sentiments too. We're probably going to have minority governments for some time to come unless Harper really screws it up, and unless we have PR, continued stalemates. Even without the Bloc, the Libs and NDP together had something around 50% popular support.
I'm sure you noted today that the cons are swimming in cash, and it is the liberals who are in big doggy do-do. Check Pundit's Guide, and also read the comments section. One commenter also gives a twist to why Iggy is being Harper's homeboy now and it has to do with the financial straights of the party.
Considering that the NDP has not supported any confidence motion of the Harper govt, since elected back in 2006, Skinny Dipper is dreaming and has no previous behaviour of the NDP that would suggest that they would vote for a Harper confidence motion, unless they actually thought it was good for Canadians.
If there was any party who could not go to election in the next year (and where Harper will try to evoke one), it is the liberal party. The party is bleeding red ink.
I saw that report, Jan, and I see your point. There is no excuse for the Liberals to have gotten to where they are now financially since they're the ones who wrote the current campaign finance rules. Not unless Ignatieff is sitting on a huge pile of money and ... wait a minute, didn't Joe Volpe try that when he was running for leader back in 2006?
This is some crazy world we're living in right now.
for all the BS that Iggy spouted about Dion, he is doing exactly what Dion was doing.....wait and see. What nonsense. Am very disappointed with the liberals politics.
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