Looking Forward

Stephane Dion experienced some short-lived relief from the usual suspects in the media. It would seem however that they, the media are just chomping at the bit for an election, so they are back to telling us what is going to happen and offering their advice to Dion and Harper.

Whatever. I'm much happier to read about real strategy and a view of how this country should be moving forward, what it should look like.

Today Stephane Dion released a plan to address the failing infrastructure in the country.

A Liberal government would spend any windfall surpluses beyond $3-billion on fixing Canada's failing infrastructure, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion promised Friday.

Mr. Dion's windfalls-for-potholes pledge is a direct attack on the Conservative government's refusal to fork out more cash to fix what Canadian mayors have described as an infrastructure crisis.

”Canada is facing an aging population. We will not pass onto our children crumbling bridges, leaky water pipes and insufficient public transit,” Mr. Dion told a Federation of Canadian Municipalities meeting in Ottawa.

I haven't looked at the plan closely but at first blush it looks promising. The word visionary is thrown around far to often, but having a vision of what Canada could look like with the right programs in place is important. In contrast, Harper has an ideology on how and when government should involve itself, but as to how Canada would look is not on his radar in that he'd allow market forces etc. to figure that out. That attitude of course completely ignores the reality of what we face today and while it provides a vision for those of us who disagree with this ideology, vision is not something that he can claim. He has no intellectual ability to move the country forward. He simply lives in the narrow mindset that less government is good, regardless of the impact on the country which completely ignores all of it's history. He may be clever, but I don't call that bright.

Interesting to me are his followers. I'm not convinced that they really understand what he'll bring. They call the Lib's divided, but take a look at the Con's. Libertarians, PC's, Alliance, Reform etc. They all have different agendas. Harper is trying to sate them all, so he throws them crumbs and tells them to shut up and be grateful. I suspect there are a few who are saying, 'Please Sir, I want more', but the media cannot explore the divides in that Party, they are shut out. Gee, I wonder why there is so focus on the Lib's who let them in?

Back to the subject, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities seems to think Dion has a great plan.

The following statement was released today by the President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), Winnipeg Councillor Gord Steeves, in response to the announcement this morning by the Hon. Stéphane Dion, Leader of the Opposition, to delegates at FCM’s Sustainable Communities Conference in Ottawa.

“The message from Mr. Dion to Canadians today is as simple as it is powerful: ‘Our cities and communities matter,’ and we applaud him. This may be one of the most significant federal policy announcements of the last decade. It is bold and it is visionary, with the potential to change the face of our country.

I mentioned yesterday that part of me doesn't want to give Harper what he wants and while I still feel that way, I noticed a lot of advice from journalists warning both Dion and Harper that now is not the time to go. In 2 instances, L. Ian MacDonald and Chantal Hebert, (no Dion fans they) referenced that Dion had been on Tout le monde en parle. Both made reference to the fact that the appearance helped him, though they offered the good news in their typical back handed way. Suprised? Not me.

In his column, MacDonald referred to the Nanos poll that shows how Dion is doing in Quebec and Ontario. Not good for Harper, in a phrase.

Nat'l

Lib's - 33%

Con's - 31%

NDP - 19%

Ont

Lib's - 43%

Con's - 31%

NDP - 19%

Que

Con's - 23%

Lib's - 22%

NDP - 12%

In fact if you heard L. Ian MacDonald tonight on Duffy's show, he sounded downright panicked, lol. He spoke to how Harper needs more time to cozy up to Charest, but alas L. Ian, (who does that with their name?), your guy chose Dumont and that was a mistake. He was referring to the fact that the Lib's have a big machine on the the ground and the ADQ has nothing. L? Ian?, actually closed the interview with "Mr. Harper had better get with that!". In other words, Warning, warning, Will Robinson!

So here we are. There is something to be said about holding back and watching that trend line of the Con's continue to decline. At the same time seeing policy and seeing Dion on his own terms is a good thing. He and we need more of that.

BTW, if anyone has vid of Dion on the show, please send me a link. I did not know he was going to be on and I'm sorry I missed it. I watch it often and for some reason I did not that night.