The Liberal party is starting to vibrate a bit with a combination of dissatisfaction with the leader Dion's performance, lack of perceived election readiness in Quebec, and inability to attack the government on big, seemingly glaring exposures.
On the latter point, the finance minister's obsession with sniping at those who deposed him from his previous job in Ontario. Or, perhaps, his attempts to sequester money for a commuter train from his own riding in back-woods Ontario into Toronto. Luckily the train thing has been downgraded to a feasability study (wanna bet that one of his cronies gets the contract?).
But meanwhile, the optics of a federal finance minister slagging a provincial government, particularly when he used to hold a job there and was deposed. That's pretty cheezy small town stuff.
Dion's inability to project a sense of leadership is an issue that can only be cleared by an election I think. I wonder though if some of these rumblings of lack of election readiness are a ploy to force the Conservative's hand, and precipitate the election themselves. A bit far-fetched I suppose, but political chess is often about manipulation.
This is not resolved yet, and I suspect the news cycle will hype it a bit more before it drops.
Friday
Monday
Two Passes But ByElections are Key
So both the 'confidence-like' votes passed. A key bit in this whole thing, driving the Liberals propensity for approving everything, regardless how they feel about it, are the by-elections that ran today.
Getting Bob into the parliament is a key part of their push forward. They want all the press that buys them, and also to get him some camera time to build his stock so that when they dump Stephane Dion, they will have some viable options.
So, I'm not sure if they will drop the government on the very next opportunity, or string them along a bit longer to give Bob some soak time. What do you think?
I suspect they also want to give the local riding associations time to rebuild their cash a bit after the by-Election. Sure, they can save some cash by re-using their lawn signs.
Getting Bob into the parliament is a key part of their push forward. They want all the press that buys them, and also to get him some camera time to build his stock so that when they dump Stephane Dion, they will have some viable options.
So, I'm not sure if they will drop the government on the very next opportunity, or string them along a bit longer to give Bob some soak time. What do you think?
I suspect they also want to give the local riding associations time to rebuild their cash a bit after the by-Election. Sure, they can save some cash by re-using their lawn signs.
Thursday
Vote Today on Afghanistan
It would have been a drop the government like a hot brick day, but everyone is supporting the government's position on Afghanistan. Not that I don't - it seems reasonable enough to me. But it's another turning point passed.
Wednesday
RESP Regressive Tax Relief
This is an interesting step towards another chance at an election. A Liberal MP put forward legislation that made it through the house of Commons and is off to the Senate for approval. This bill makes RESP contributions tax sheltered, much like an RRSP. ( Read "like an IRA" for any American's who might be reading here - not that I can imagine such a scenario).
It's apparently got a $900M pricetag against government revenue, and the Conservatives don't like it. Parents of course eat it up. The MP who championed the bill is shown papering his office with emails of support. Go figure, people like getting tax breaks. Offer a free case of beer with your tax return and see how many emails of support you get.
My problem with it (yikes, I'm siding with the Conservatives) is that such a program benefits education for rich people. The people that would have trouble affording post-secondary education don't have the cash (and sometimes not the knowhow) to wrangle up an RESP. If we want to blow $900M a year on education related benefits, how about lowering tuitions, or funding low-income students through their schooling.
Anyway, the Conservatives are putting together a bill to rescind the legislation if it goes through. If passed, the RESP bill dies, if defeated the government falls. Well, interesting of course, as the Liberals immediately say,that they will not defeat the latter bill.
And so it goes again.
We need an election to clear the clogged pipes. The liberals can't change leadership without an election to precipitate it. The Conservatives can't be deposed without it. The NDP and Greens can resolve their relative roles in the landscape without it either. The outcome would be either the same thing, or perhaps a reduced Conservative minority, or a Liberal Minority. Either way, it would have some value to clear the air.
When will the opposition get a backbone and vote down stuff that they don't support?
It's apparently got a $900M pricetag against government revenue, and the Conservatives don't like it. Parents of course eat it up. The MP who championed the bill is shown papering his office with emails of support. Go figure, people like getting tax breaks. Offer a free case of beer with your tax return and see how many emails of support you get.
My problem with it (yikes, I'm siding with the Conservatives) is that such a program benefits education for rich people. The people that would have trouble affording post-secondary education don't have the cash (and sometimes not the knowhow) to wrangle up an RESP. If we want to blow $900M a year on education related benefits, how about lowering tuitions, or funding low-income students through their schooling.
Anyway, the Conservatives are putting together a bill to rescind the legislation if it goes through. If passed, the RESP bill dies, if defeated the government falls. Well, interesting of course, as the Liberals immediately say,that they will not defeat the latter bill.
And so it goes again.
We need an election to clear the clogged pipes. The liberals can't change leadership without an election to precipitate it. The Conservatives can't be deposed without it. The NDP and Greens can resolve their relative roles in the landscape without it either. The outcome would be either the same thing, or perhaps a reduced Conservative minority, or a Liberal Minority. Either way, it would have some value to clear the air.
When will the opposition get a backbone and vote down stuff that they don't support?
Thursday
Sleaze Oozes out of Government Cracks
While the current government gets closer to one of the longest running minority governments, a few things begin to pile up behind the gate to an election.
The Obama campaign was the last thing I thought would come up in our political situation, but a bonehead move by someone in the PMO meant that a discussion was leaked to the press.
Initially, it was shared (allegedly by Harper's Chief of Staff) that Obama called up the Canadian Embassy to say - "hey, forget all that stuff I'm saying about NAFTA - it's just for getting votes" - okay I'm paraphrasing, but that was the gist of it.
Later it comes up that, well, that's not really what the exchange was. But it's immaterial now, as the impact has already been felt in Ohio primaries.
In previous government leaks, they found the culprit and removed the temp employee I think it was, in the handcuffs of the RCMP. In this case it sounds like there's a Privy Council investigation, and they'll likely come back with "oh well, we reprimanded the unnamed pesky fellow". Sounds like a double standard.
Though, I am somehow not surprised, as there was word of Republicans or at least links to republican-connected right wing religio-fascists in the US providing advisors to Harpers campaign during the previous election. It seems possible in a slightly crazy conspiracy-sort-of-way that they would also be looking for some help in besmirching Mr. Charisma given the way the upcoming US election is looking.
Anyway, all this to say, it gives the Opposition some scandal-like ammunition to consider toppling the government. Add onto that the current push towards the censorship bill C-10 that seeks to not only scuttle funding for some Canadian movies that don't meet some cabal's ideas of suitable content, but they also want to be able to do it after the fact. This ensures that not only do they kill the movie project, but they also financially deep-six the production company who suddenly finds that it's product has bankrupted them as the pending funds are suddenly withdrawn after the cash is spent. Some nut job evangelist named McVety out west was claiming ownership of the bill until someone told him to shut up, and now he's pulled back into the festering underbelly of religion-motivated censorship advocates.
Hopefully the arts community continues pushing on this, and the Liberals in the Senate can kill the thing. Meanwhile, add it to the list of reasons for an election.
The Obama campaign was the last thing I thought would come up in our political situation, but a bonehead move by someone in the PMO meant that a discussion was leaked to the press.
Initially, it was shared (allegedly by Harper's Chief of Staff) that Obama called up the Canadian Embassy to say - "hey, forget all that stuff I'm saying about NAFTA - it's just for getting votes" - okay I'm paraphrasing, but that was the gist of it.
Later it comes up that, well, that's not really what the exchange was. But it's immaterial now, as the impact has already been felt in Ohio primaries.
In previous government leaks, they found the culprit and removed the temp employee I think it was, in the handcuffs of the RCMP. In this case it sounds like there's a Privy Council investigation, and they'll likely come back with "oh well, we reprimanded the unnamed pesky fellow". Sounds like a double standard.
Though, I am somehow not surprised, as there was word of Republicans or at least links to republican-connected right wing religio-fascists in the US providing advisors to Harpers campaign during the previous election. It seems possible in a slightly crazy conspiracy-sort-of-way that they would also be looking for some help in besmirching Mr. Charisma given the way the upcoming US election is looking.
Anyway, all this to say, it gives the Opposition some scandal-like ammunition to consider toppling the government. Add onto that the current push towards the censorship bill C-10 that seeks to not only scuttle funding for some Canadian movies that don't meet some cabal's ideas of suitable content, but they also want to be able to do it after the fact. This ensures that not only do they kill the movie project, but they also financially deep-six the production company who suddenly finds that it's product has bankrupted them as the pending funds are suddenly withdrawn after the cash is spent. Some nut job evangelist named McVety out west was claiming ownership of the bill until someone told him to shut up, and now he's pulled back into the festering underbelly of religion-motivated censorship advocates.
Hopefully the arts community continues pushing on this, and the Liberals in the Senate can kill the thing. Meanwhile, add it to the list of reasons for an election.
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