Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff appears to have a problem with at least one police officer.
An RCMP officer in a cruiser on Parliament Hill flagged me down around midnight Monday, no doubt figuring any journalist out this late on a school night was up to no good. After explaining my late departure was to write up the four federal byelections, he asked who'd won.
The Conservatives took two of the ridings to claim the big win of the night, I said.
"That's good, isn't it?," he suggested. Well, the Bloc Quebecois and Liberals might think differently. "Tell you this much. I've been a Liberal all my life and next time, for a whole bunch of reasons, I'm voting Harper." That's the Iggy nightmare. True Grits are turning Tory. And there doesn't appear to be a vaccine to prevent it from going pandemic. Watching Mr. Ignatieff's reaction to the byelections was far more instructive than the actual results. He had expected to lose big in all four, and the voters didn't disappoint, but Mr. Ignatieff clearly doesn't have a clue what to do next. He shrugged about needing to do better, setting off on some academic voyage of policy rediscovery as his party plots a Deep Thinkers brain-banging session early in 2010. But his Quebec lieutenant, class-act MP Marc Garneau, was a gasping fish out a water when pressed for problem-solving specifics on how to reverse the party's ailing Quebec fortunes this week. His short answer: um, wait and see. This from a party willing to force an election on policy principles just two months ago. Liberal MPs point to their leader's new chief of staff as an uplifting move, but that's a fire-the-coach mentality that rarely works quickly, if at all, for a team on a losing streak Incoming chief of staff Peter Donolo, who officially starts Monday after spending a few weeks wondering why on earth he took the job, was a master Jean Chretien communicator in his heyday. But that was almost 20 years ago and his resume since leaving politics isn't exactly filled with expertise in running a demoralized, directionless organization. Against this muddled Liberal mess, we are approaching the first anniversary of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's biggest mistake and greatest gift. His misguided fiscal update last November, which included a provocative plan to end political party subsidies, was a big boo-boo that had even Conservative MPs questioning the strategic acumen of their leader. But the opposition promptly returned the favour with its handshake-sealed deal to form a Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition, a Christmas present that keeps on giving. Compounding opposition party misfortunes is what's on the horizon. Canada is heading into what most experts predict will be the greatest outburst of national pride in decades. The Canadian Olympic team is hoping to deliver plenty of medals in less than one hundred days, including the elusive host country gold. They could even win the Games outright by delivering the top medal haul of any country. For the Conservatives, who tend to wear patriotism on their sleeve (or on their red mittens) more than any other party, that's an advantage akin to setting up on the bobsled track start line with a five-second lead. They could wipe out before the finish line and still win the race. All this means Mr. Harper can continue to govern with a majority government mentality for the foreseeable future. With the brimming confidence of the byelection results in his sails, particularly that win in Quebec's poorest riding, he's even got the usually-defiant Bloc Quebecois in knee-knocking election-averting mode. The way the polls are unfolding, the opposition trio may well be too timid to force an election over next spring's budget. If the next vote is indeed a year away, that sets up the Conservatives for a lower-profile win, no matter what the election outcome. Conservative senators will inherit the top party spot in the Red Chamber in early January, and will command an absolute majority over all Liberals and the pair of remaining Progressive Conservatives next November assuming, of course, Mr. Harper doesn't get soft and appoint any non-Conservatives to the trough. As if... So if the cop on the Hill accurately reflects Liberal fortunes today, Michael Ignatieff did not get off with a friendly warning. His party is in arrested development. dmartin@nationalpost.com
National Post
Don, I doubt being mildly nice to Conservatives or slightly critical of Liberals will get you the Senate appointment that you desire but didn't get when Duffy got his. Your being an Alberta PC is not the same as being conservative anyway.
That was a seriously tortured last line. Being mildly nice to the cons must affect your right lobe adversely, Don.
Thank you for writing an op ed that's fair and unbiased, it reminds me of the old you.
The federal Liberals have forgotten that Canada is a country not just one or two cities. Iffy has to talk to any Liberal candidates outside of Toronto to learn what the country actually wants not just what downtown Toronto thinks. Making the Liberal critics vote against the private member's bill to abolish the long gun registry was illustrative on how out of touch the Liberals (and perhaps the BQ) are with regular Canadians. The Liberals have to stop attacking the rest of Canada just to protect their bigoted base.
MP Marc Garneau stated the loss was due to the Liberals message not getting out.
I suspect he meant that the message was not understood by the muttons rather than there was no message to send.
Don has figured out he won't get a senate appointment from the Liberals so he's switching sides, not that this will help him.
Bob Rae will lead the Liberals in the next federal election.
It's understandable that the Liberals are vague about sliding polls and byelection losses:
They're busy thinking about what they should be thinking about at their upcoming Thinker's Conference.
"Bob Rae will lead the Liberals in the next federal election."
>> And Jacko the one after that.
Don... this column is an honest assessment of the Liberal Party's problems and the jabs you take at the Conservaties are fair. Develop this tone... it's more dignified and more interesting to read.
Canada is slowly waking up and smelling the coffee....the libs are doomed
Don, you need to work on your english:
"Ignatieff lacks vaccine to halt Liberal pandemic"
Meaning, it is spreading, patently false...
should read:
"Ignatieff IS THE vaccine to halt Liberal pandemic"
meaning "from spreading"
Odd that you would equate the Liberals to a social disease when it is really a mental affliction that believes:
"All persons are NOT to be treated equally, in terms of rights and responsibilities, by law"
Just like the Nazis...
Actually, I would say Ignatieff lacks vaccine to halt Harpercon pandemic. Do Canadians really want a leader who will screw their retirement and sellout their country. If so, Canadian deserve the Harpercons. Do Canadians really think that if the Harpercons get their majority we will all be led to the promised land? As Author Peter C. Newman says: "In all other developed countries, the economic élite defend their country's sovereignty because not only is it in their own interest to do so, but they are proud of their country and wish it to be more than a place where their children and grandchildren can best look forward to being serfs."� Welcome to the Harpercon majority, where our children and grandchildren can best look forward to being serfs. F#$K What is there to be patriotic about? Canadians soldiers who fought valiantly and died for our country will have died in vain.
TIME wounds all heals.
Sometimes later than usual.
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