Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Fall Election?

Maple Leaf Politics has a post, detailing the Tories threats to call an election if a motion passes demanding Rona Ambrose resign. Unbelievable:
But the Conservatives are raising the stakes and threatening a fall election should the motion pass.
Conservative Whip Jay Hill confirmed to The Globe and Mail last night that he told NDP House Leader Libby Davies late yesterday that a motion that passes through committee would be considered a confidence matter if the committee report is put to a vote this fall.

Everytime the opposition challenges the government, they threaten to go to the voters. This posture is especially arrogant this time, given the fact that the environment is clearly the government’s weak spot. I say call the Tories bluff, because they surely can’t be serious. Do they really want to drag Canadians to the polls, with their non-existent environmental agenda as the centerpiece? I am willing to bet if a poll where taken, with the question “do you approve of the the job Rona Ambrose is doing?”, Canadians would overwhelming answer NO.

The Tories would look opportunist, taking advantage of a leaderless Liberal Party, and petty for calling an election over this point. Eventually, the opposition has to take a stand against this continual threat of an election, otherwise they allow the government to operate as though it were a majority. I can’t think of a better scenario than this one presented by Jay Hill to expose the false bravado. If Canadians are forced to go to the polls over Rona Ambrose, it represents a perfect storm of sorts. Lose, lose for the Conservatives and the opposition should react within this obvious truth.

UPDATE
The Liberals have no stomach for calling bluffs. I don't understand the logic.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The environment? Kyoto? Greenhouse gas? Climate change? Those are issues on which a government in Canada should stand or fall?

Canadians like to pay lip service to those issues but that's about it. Makes us feel righteous.

But in the realpolitic world of Canadian day to day life no one really believes the climate is changing. Those that do, sort of, think the climate is changing somewhere else because of something *those* people did and that it won't affect us anyway because We. Are. Canadian.

A timorous trembling client nation of the present planetary power, Canada is a nation dreamed up and created by sanctimonious colonists of the previous planetary power.

The planet is *their* responsibility.

We're just the water boy.

Steve V said...

dana

Lots of truth in those words.