We can't really fault Dion, can we? After all, it was he who said "Do you think it is easy to make priorities?
Apparently it's easier to make priorities when you have leaders of two competing parties assigning them to you, and explaining what they are.
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In an alternate universe here's what could have happened:
Harper proposes the elimination of the $1.95 / vote subsidy.
Liberals either accept it or don't.
- if they take it, they suffer financially for awhile, but bounce back leaner and more focussed, as the Conservatives did not so long ago.
- if they don't:
NDP sees an opportunity:
-They are already grass-roots, and will have less to lose by this plan.
-They would have a tactical advantage over the Libs in the next election (financially), and perhaps usurp the Libs as the federalist Left option
-They could wear the white hats for participating in a plan that financially chokes off the Separatists, and make them irrelevant for perhaps a full generation.
Neither Liberals nor NDP did so.
Thus, they chose the other option, of validating the Bloc, emboldening the separatists, and as a bonus, stoking separatists sentiments in the West.
Good goin' boneheads!
How we Reacted
12 years ago
1 comment:
Hey Wes,
I think all your points are valid as far as they go ... I agree that the Conservative economic platform is probably the best approach, and I have no real problem with the validity of a move to cut the subsidy to political parties, except that I think the timing was incredibly poor for a government that had just stated its intent to work with the opposition in a more conciliatory fashion than previously. If you want to govern as if you had a majority, first you have to earn one ... and the Tories didn't, even though at the start of the election campagin they seemed to have one coming their way.
My main concern in terms of public perception is that every party in this charade (including the Conservatives) is painting themselves as totally concerned for the good of the country and devoid of self-interest, while accusing their opponents of lying/deceiving/destroying the country/promoting only their own interest (take your pick, it all amounts to the same thing). Basically they are all promoting their own righteousness and throwing bricks back and forth at each other. There's an amazing lack of humility on all sides ... sounds suspiciously like having a log in one's own eye ... So while overall I still favour the Conservatives in this whole boondoggle, I don't think Mr. Harper's leadership style of late has been helping his party's cause any, nor has it been particularly good for the public perception of the overall character and integrity of politicians.
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