Wednesday, June 17, 2009

And The Winner Is....?

Well, I guess the winners are all of those people who didn't want a summer election, which by all accounts certainly was the majority. Things didn't go as I would have liked, but that's true of many things in life isn't it? Am I happy with everything? No, not really, but I am willing to look at what is and move forward.

I wasn't around today when all of this came down, so I've been playing catch up. I've read some carping and I've read some praise. I guess if I were to chime in, it would be somewhere in the middle. That is to say, I would have preferred that we had felled the government, but failing that, ending up where we did will likely satisfy most Canadians and that in the end is what matters.

Now, I'm sure the first screams will be, but you got nothing for EI. True, there is nothing immediate for those who are struggling right now and I think that is a shame, but nor would there have been had we gone to an election.

Will the panel produce anything? I guess none of us really know but you have to admit that by Harper conceding that there is inequity in the system after having Diane Finley rise in the House, day after day, and say they had done enough and everything was rosy, is something. All I really mean by that is, you can be damn sure that there would have been no movement on that file without Liberal intervention. The proof however will be in the pudding. One advantage here is that the government will have to open the books on this file and that can only be good for the Liberals.

As to the other areas, it's really just more of the same. The stimulus money will flow, albeit not as quickly as the government had promised it would and we'll go through the summer watching announcements, but it will be important to watch the recipients and their reaction as time moves forward.

The arcane detail of getting a fixed opposition day will have no relevance to Canadians at large, but it does prevent the manipulation of those days by the government and under the right circumstances, that could mean a great deal to us come September.

I've also read that Ignatieff looks diminished by this. Well, I think that's an inside the Queensway talking point right now to be honest. If Canadians by and large were not looking for an election, he won't be diminished in their eyes, in fact, he may well have grown in stature for some.

In the end, we won't really know the success of this strategy until the Fall. The Summer may present some interesting situations, but for the most part I think you'll see lots of fundraising and many occasions where Ignatieff can present himself as someone who is doing what he feels is best for the country. It's important to remember how the media played all of this and where they directed the conversation. That is, what a potential mistake a summer election would be. Personally, I didn't see or hear one clip of Mr/Mrs Citizen saying they wanted an election. Of course, no one asked me!

Again today, some media is playing the opposite game, as I pointed out in an earlier post, taking whatever position is the most sensational.

I have to say that the NDP look really pathetic in all of this. My gawd, Mulcair sounded ridiculous in all of the clips I heard of him. They seem not to be players anymore at all, sort of kicked to the sidelines. By excluding them from any of the talks and the panel, they look like the tiny party in the background. With apologies to my NDP friends, I have to confess that I feel as though it serves them right at this point.

So, to those who were looking forward to a quiet summer, enjoy! Personally I'm going to have to come up with something that will keep me calm until the Fall.

21 comments:

penlan said...

"The arcane detail of getting a fixed opposition day will have no relevance to Canadians at large, but it does prevent the manipulation of those days by the government and under the right circumstances, that could mean a great deal to us come September."

IF it happens. Has everyone forgotten that Harper never plays straight. Do you really trust him to allow that? I don't. He will find some way for that not to happen. He says one thing, does another. He's making minute concessions right now but he'll take them back after he has had the opportunity to "campaign" all summer, frame Ignatieff with nasty ads, & who knows maybe he will call for an election before Parliament sits again. It is the Harper way after all. Don't think for a minute that he will ever allow anyone but himself to "call" the next election. And he'll do it when we least expect it. He's the master manipulator. No one takes his power away from HIM.

We had the chance. It's gone now.

Anonymous said...

Ever had the feeling that you have been had?


I can understand your rationalization but was this not all about the economy and the "report card"? How did this all get "trangormiphied" into EI?

A "Blue Panel" comittee.....? WTF....


Iggy was all bluster and no balls and Harper gets to survive for a few more months...

So how much damage can be done....
I bet that they all go on vacation and nothing will change... I thought it was "uber" important that the gov continue... less money stop flowing...


Cheap partisan politics all around - both parties will claim victory, things will stay broken....

Anonymous said...

So Penlan, we seem to agree, are we good again? Are we cyber-buddies? ;>

Karen said...

penlan, I hear you, but if Harper goes back on this and does pre-empt, he'll pay at the polls.

We had a chance yes and I thought we had a good one. Out here though, I have no way of knowing if I was right or not.

Time will tell and but I'm never willing to stay stuck in the moment.

If I've learned nothing else, everything in Ottawa is fluid.

Karen said...

cwtf...no you're kidding!

You don't like this deal? I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!

Look, I've been clear, I would have done it differently, but thankfully for all concerned, I'm not in charge.

As I said to Penlan, only time will tell if they did this right. In the results department, nothing would have been different had we pulled the plug.

Watch for a BBQ near you

Anonymous said...

Sure the people who didn't want an election during the summer have won. But as to the political leaders,Mr.harper as won over Mr.Ignatieff and here are my reasons why.

1)The liberals said that they would vote against the budget bill unless they would provide further EI details. I believe Mr.Ignatieff said he wanted to know now not in the fall.
Well the only thing he got was a blue ribbon panel,in which it most certainly will cost us taxpayer more $$$ with no guarantee that anything would change.

2)Also the liberals wanted to know how much of the economic stimulus measures have been spent. They're again the liberals got absolutely nothing "NADA."

3)Mr.Ignatieff also wanted to know how the government plans to reduce the deficit.Did he get a different answer from what the finance minister has been saying all along? Again to this question the answer is "NOPE."

4)Did the liberals get a different answer,than what the government has been saying all along on the shortage of medical isotopes? I don't think so.

These are the reasons why Mr.Ignatieff has been having a tough time with the press lately. He brought this on to himself. Mr.Ignatieff didn't have to go in front of the camera and tell us what it would take for their support. All he had to do was to ask for a meeting with Mr.Harper to convince the liberals why they should continue to support the government. Mr.Harper wouldn't be able to refuse Mr.Ignatieff offer to meet. If he would have there would have been a strong cry across this country against Mr.Harper why he would refuse such a meeting.But to late now isn't?

Anonymous said...

You don't like this deal? I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!
It's hardly a deal....

I'd have respect for Iggy if he had not been so full of bluster... Instead he spins like a top...
Come a point where you have to look at reality...
We point out all the Conservative lies yet excuse the Liberal nose stretchers....

At the moment, Iggy owns the budget as much as Harper. Full stop.

Harper, well, nothing he can do will make me respect that little turd...

Karen said...

Proud Canadian, hindsight is great isn't it?

Can you imagine the reaction if Ignatieff had come out and said he wanted a meeting?

The guffaws from the press gallery would have been audible and Harper would have swatted him away.

While you've pointed out what the initial presser was about, it was and is obvious that no one and I mean no one, outside the 'political' bubble was paying any attention.

I don't cite that as a good thing, only as a reality as to how all this will play out.

It will be an interesting summer.

Karen said...

cwtf, if you go back and listen to him, he wasn't full of bluster. It was played that way, but how many times did he say he wasn't putting out ultimatums? He wasn't laying down conditions and finally, he didn't want an election? That confused the hell out of the press because...sputter, sputter...what will we write about?

So, how that played out in the media is another matter, but here's the thing. I think he plays it straight in some sense, not like Dion but almost, he expects it to be interpretted in a straight manner.

Now, as opposed to Dion, he is developing a more political skeleton. He's balancing the two Ignatieff's as it were. Love it or hate it, that is the make up of most politicians or in fact, some of the better ones.

That doesn't play well to the jaded crowd, but in time may just have them take a different perspective.

Obviously, that's only my opinion based on both distant observation and more up close and personal.

I'm curious. What did you think of Mulcair today? Did you see him on the Power Play panel? I almost, almost, felt sorry for him...Nah, not really. Now, you want to talk bluster!

Anonymous said...

I'm curious. What did you think of Mulcair today?
I honestly did not see him. He has some good days and some bad days... I'm guessing it was a bad day for him then.

"Jaded crowd" - very right...

Anonymous said...

"Can you imagine the reaction if Ignatieff had come out and said he wanted a meeting?"

"The guffaws from the press gallery would have been audible and Harper would have swatted him away."

I don't think Mr.Harper would have been able to refuse a simple meeting.
Because if he did,Mr.Ignatieff could have come in front the cameras and say something like "you see I'm here today trying to make this parliament work and keep the country out of an election in the middle of the summer and yet we have a P.M.who refuses a simple meeting where we could have resolved some of the issues that we have." I have no doubt that every Tom Dick and Harry would have been all over Mr.Harper for his refusal.

This way Mr.Ignatieff is the one who looks weak in all of this.He got diddly-squat.Compared to what he was asking.

Karen said...

Proud Canadian, I understand what you are saying, but with respect, I think you are affording too much logic and decency to a world that places no value on those traits.

It could have played out that way, in a perfect world, but the world is far from that.

Karen said...

cwtf, it's worth a hunt through the CTV vid vault.

If you're going to be honest in your assesment of people...just saying.

Got the dig, but jaded I'm not.

Karen said...

Just a quick note here. If the Blogging Tories are claiming a huge win for the Cons, I think that says about all we need to know at the moment.

If I was a betting person, based on that alone, I'd watch the polls not decide in their favour.

One other quick thing, penlan was right to suggest that Harper won't play fair, but that's when the nasty comes out. To use Impolitical's term, the 'crazy train' will surface from the tunnel and treat Canada to what they don't like about Harper.

Hopefully, that will happen at a time when the collective can tolerate an election.

Anonymous said...

If the Blogging Tories are claiming a huge win for the Cons
Well did you expect anything else from that dissonant bunch of halfwits?


Don't forget that many Liberals are claiming the same...

Cari said...

I used to enumerate and did in the summer..people did not like it..many people were away on vacation, and you had to rely on the neighbour for info..regardless,I am glad it ended up this way., now.
I know Michael surely felt that this government has to go...but that is another time and thank goodness it is.
The NDP were voting no on everything and blaming the Liberals for siding with the government. They would have gone for an election in February if possible!

LMA said...

As you say Cari, Canadians did not want an election this summer and Ignatieff has said before that they are the "boss". However, I fear he has lost credibility on the EI issue, and this whole "on probation" and "accountability" thing as well. How many chances does Harper have to get it right anyway? Next time, just do it Iggy.

1eyedpecker said...

re: "So, to those who were looking forward to a quiet summer, enjoy! Personally I'm going to have to come up with something that will keep me calm until the Fall."

My sentiments exactly!

Gayle said...

"If the Blogging Tories are claiming a huge win for the Cons, I think that says about all we need to know at the moment."

One sure sign that they do not all believe that is the fact that wilson is not here claiming victory. If she really believed Harper had the upper hand she would not be able to restrain herself. :)

RuralSandi said...

Speaking of summer elections - there would be low voter turn out - probably lower than any other time. The last week of July and first week of August are the most popular vacation weeks of the whole summer.

About EI - I may be reaching here, but if Harper and this panel don't come up with an EI solution - perhaps an election and policy issue.

Mulcair - what a piece of work that guy is. According to Bob Fife of CTV, the NDP are now having inner caucus problems - Mulcair is trying to get Layton's job and Fife said there may be a leadership issue there. I can't think of anyone worse than Mulcair for a leader. The NDP need someone more a little less partisan and calmer. Paul Dewar is a calmer person and actually talks about issues without the usual kitchen table garbage.

Also, part of the probem apparently, Elections Canada had some accounting glitch and the parties haven't received all their refund cheques yet - for the NDP and Greens especially right now that is a major problem. The NDP haven't been raising much money. So, underneath all the posturing by the NDP - they're probably very happy right now.

Elizabeth May and the Greens have been awfully quiet lately.

Sir Francis said...

Elizabeth May and the Greens have been awfully quiet lately.

It's called "having your fifteen minutes".

I can't stand this "nobody wants an election" meme. Read the polls, chaps: just under 70% of Canadians do want an election--immediately--because they clearly wish to be rid of the noxious knobs who've been misgoverning us for three years.

And, just as a matter of principle, anybody unwilling to get off his/her fat ass to vote merely because it's hot and humid needs to be stripped of his/her franchise rights (or shipped off to Iran).