Tell them that Michael Ignatieff says "Bob Rae sleeps with the fishes"

Leadership conventions.

There have been many of them in our nation’s history. Each party has renewed itself through these events which are, in essence, a celebration of grassroots democracy. Many have provided some of the more dramatic moments in our nation’s political history. Party members drawn from every corner of the country, whether it be from downtown Toronto, fishing outposts in Newfoundland, or small towns on the prairies, decend upon a central location to meet and discuss the impending succession. Canadians from all walks of life, bound only by their party ties and commitment to democracy, put prospects to the test, and prepare themselves for yet another generation.

It never used to be this way. Parties, similar to the British model, would simply hole up their MP’s and Senators in a room, and pick one from among them to be their champion.
It was the Liberal Party of Canada that broke from this practice, and invited its rank-and-file members to be part of the process. In 1919, they elected Mackenzie King as their new leader, and, over time, every major political party in every province has adopted the same means of selection.

Some have delegated conventions, with a dozen or so people from each riding. Some have an open popular vote, while some apply some equal weighting to constituencies. The point is that for almost 90 years, the expectation of card-carrying members of Canadian political parties is that they personally, or a dozen of their friends and neighbours, will vote to select a person who could very well be Prime Minister, or Premier.

Now, ironically, the same party that first subjected national leadership to a grassroots vote, has decided that a conference call among some MP’s and Senators will suffice in the ratification of Pierre Trudeau…I mean, Michael Ignatieff, as Leader of the Liberal Party.

Sure, it wasn’t going to be much of a race with only one candidate in the running. Mind you, we had three eager beavers last week, and one of them, Bobby Rae, was talking tough as recently as the weekend. How do you go from criss-crossing the nation, doing the rubber chicken circuit and pressing the flesh, to saying “on second thought, no thanks.”?

Rae, ever the team player, isn’t saying much, but what he has been saying gives me the impression that the problem wasn’t one of desire or motivation.

I get the impression that the people on Iggy’s team are fans of the Godfather movie trilogy, because I see in Bobby Rae someone who was politely told that pushing things any further would result in the political equivalent of waking up with a horse head in your bed, or getting a shot like Moe Green when his rubdown was so rudely interrupted.

So, it appears that there is happiness in the land as the Grit-erati all line up to kiss the ring of Michael ‘Corleone’ Ignatieff, and declare and end to the truce between the three families…Oops, I mean, parties.

There are doubtless many in Liberal Land who are ready to uncork the sparkling cider and celebrate the beginning of their triumphant return to 24 Sussex. While such scenarios are not outside the statistical possibility, let’s be a bit more pragmatic.

First, your party is flat broke. Pledge drives for PBS stations bring in more cash, and what you do get is largely due to the stipends you receive from Elections Canada.

Second, you screwed up big time with the amateur hour putsch, and the PR damage will take more than a couple of months to repair.

Third, you burned your grassroots by making the leadership convention a moot point. You made your peace with Bob Rae and Dominic LeBlanc, but I can’t imagine their supporters don’t feel like they just got screwed over.

Fourth, you have vacated the high ground, because you can’t wax philosophical about democracy when you rear-end your own rank-and-file to obtain power.

Fifth, you are twenty points back, and will probably have to contend with all of the above – less money, fewer foot soldiers, and diminished status – while at the same time answering why your leader, in his writings, identified himself as ‘American’, not Canadian. Of course, don’t get me started on his published views of Ukrainians (read ‘Blood and Belonging’) and how that will bump up the Grit vote in the West.

A new name on the doorplate, or a new logo, or an new PR stunt will not save the Liberal Party. An commitment to old ideas like democracy and accountability might, in the long run.

Ah, the most wonderful time of the year!

This past Sunday afternoon, as I was shopping with my son at the Cataraqui Town Centre in Kingston, some enterprising individual, or group of individuals, decided to do a little window shopping of their own.

I am not going to rant about my feelings regarding this. I think that anyone reading this would be able to figure out what my emotional state would be. I will not even dignify with an answer the person who commented on the Kingston Whig-Standard website on my posting with something akin to me “asking for it.” My feelings toward them, too, can be easily divined.

Compared to other vile acts on people, my experience pales in comparison. Neither my son, or I, were injured (except the trauma on our Christmas spirit). In the scheme of things, when so many families lose loved ones, their homes and their livelihoods, this is admittedly pretty petty in comparison.

Nevertheless, I do want to say some things.

First, I want to thank the couple who immediately reported the vandalism and theft to the Cat Centre Security Office. Too many people watch these things happen and resolve to do nothing. They set an example that others in our society would do well to emulate.

Second, I want to thank Kyle, the Security Officer, who dealt with the situation. Although I am not certain what his duties are, I am sure he went up and beyond them. He scrounged up plastic and tape to podge the hole shut, he calmed my son, who just experienced his first taste of crime one week before his 8th birthday, and he calmed me as well. He took down the information, was eager to handle any request, and stood out as a good ambassador for the mall.

If I ever set foot in that place again, it will be for people like Kyle who work there.

Now, I said I would not address the individuals responsible for this, but that’s not entirely true. In fact, I wish to offer them some hospitality.

Make your way out to the country. Stop in, and help yourself to more things that I worked hard to afford – be my guest.

Before you get too eager, however, I want to introduce you to a member of my family:

He is over 130 pounds, and is a breed of dog called a Great Pyrenees. You may not be familiar with them, so let me provide some detail from the American Kennel Club:

http://clubs.akc.org/gpca/gpcabreed.html

“The Great Pyrenees is a territorial guard by nature, which means that he works to keep his territory free from predatory danger. Because of this, there may be times when the shepherd does not see the dog for long periods of time. He knows that the job is being done because the losses decrease. If the dog is working effectively, the stockman may never see a predator, and the flock will never be disturbed.

“A good working dog has been selected for hostility toward all possible predators. This is why Great Pyrenees, although bred to work on bears and wolves, are equally effective on wild and feral dogs which are an increasing problem to stockman.

By nature, the Great Pyrenees is nocturnal. It has no tolerance for other dogs except the herding dogs that it works with, and very small dogs. It can be trusted with small, young and helpless animals of any kind, but it has to be watched as a young pup with some supervision as it usually takes a pup 18 months to become a livestock guardian dog. It is one of the most interesting qualities of a Great Pyrenees-the absolute intolerance of all predators, coupled with extraordinary patience and kindness to stock. "


So, here’s my generous offer.

You can keep whatever you grab, so long as you can get away from him in time.

Remember – one of his breed can single-handedly kill a mountain lion, and two can kill a bear. Also bear in mind he has a very, very long chain (which he has snapped on occasion), and likes to spend more time outside than in the house.

If you can hang on to whatever you steal before he pounces on you and mistakes you for a wolf or a coyote, I’ll gladly accept the loss with humility and a tip of the hat to you for your survival skills.

Oh yeah, and Merry Christmas to you. Enjoy my camera.

Come to the Liberal BBQ, and bring plenty of gasoline!

Former British Prime Minister Ted Heath coined the observation that “a week is a lifetime in politics.” Nothing that has occurred in Ottawa this past week served to refute this bold statement.

At the beginning of last week, it was the call that “the Conservative government is dead. Long live the coalition.” Today, that sort of statement is supported by those who were out of the country for the last seven days, and those who - well, we won’t go there.

Stephane Dion’s YouTube moment, which easily would have gotten any Grade 9 student an ‘F’ in computer class, only served to reinforce the view that the gap between his ambition and ability is greater than the chasm between Liberals and Tories.

This weekend, of course, we had the display of support for both sides.

The pro-coalition forces turned out about 3000 people to Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, while at least 3500 came to Ottawa to oppose the deal. In other words, public support is overwhelmingly anti-coalition.

Think of it, you have people like Mary Walsh, of 22 Minutes fame, rock bands like Broken Social Scene – who appeal heavily to a particular demographic – and all organized with money and material from the Canadian Labour Congress, as well as Liberal and NDP riding associations. What’s more, you hold it in the middle of Canada’s largest city, where coalition partnered parties hold virtually every riding. They get 3000 brave souls.

The anti-coalition people, devoid of the backing of CanCon celebs, trade union coffers, and enjoying the support of only one party – not three – hold an event in an urban area less than a fifth the size of the GTA, and they turn out 500 more people.

So, now that the cracks in the Thousand-Year Coalition are starting to form and widen, what comes next, you may ask? Actually, plenty more, and far more interesting than what we’ve seen so far.

Now, we hear that Dion’s retirement is being fast-tracked. The “Natural Governing Party” seems so eager on this point, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ignatieff and Rae backers heading over to Stornoway and throwing Stephane’s suits out onto the snow-covered front lawn, just like the wronged spouse in some bad Hollywood romatic comedy.

Unfortunately, haste makes waste. Get rid of Dion today, and you better have someone in place ASAP.

Grit flunkies think that Iggy should get the job, and they argue that the caucus and the party’s inner sanctum can rubber stamp that move. Apparently Dominic LeBlanc has already fallen on his sword for the erstwhile MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, which is just as well. His bid for the Liberal leadership had the lief expectancy of one of those no-named red shirted crew members on the original ‘Star Trek’ series – the ones that got vapourized before the first commercial break.

Unfortunately, the Liberal Party had already set in motion a leadership convention, slated it for May in Vancouver, and got people like Bobby Rae all excited about the prospect of becoming the Defender of Confederation.

Saving money on renting a convention centre, subsidizing delegates, and using up all that political donation tax room for a love-in when it would be better used for an election battle is, under the circumstances, pretty smart – except for the fact that hundreds of Liberal party members signed on for a convention, not a coronation.

Thus, Iggy has his own version of the Prisoner’s Dilemma. Accept the crown, and you can no longer be the defender of democracy. The champion of the 28%+17%+10%+6% coalition will have become leader on the support of less than 1% of the party membership.

Beyond that, I am not sure that the people who signed on to back that Champion of Democracy, Bobby Rae, are going to want to join hands and sing kum-by-yah any time soon – including before the next election.

Burning Liberal voters is bad enough. It makes the difference between winning, or losing, a competitive election. Burning Liberal party members is fatal. They are the folks that man your phone banks, put up signs, and give you money. Tick them off and you are “Dead Man Campaigning.”

Dion made several egregious mistakes, and the consequences will play out for quite some time. That is done, and cannot be undone. What comes next, however, could be a good dose of kerosene on an already large campfire.

Luckily for Tories like me, we are close enough to get warm, but not enough to get sent to the emergency room…

Canada's biggest set of 'huevos' belong to Bobby Rae

On Thursday night, people watching Mike Duffy’s programme on CTV NewsNet were treated to a great deal of righteous indignation from one Bob Rae.

At the best of times, I have a great deal of difficulty choking back the bile that builds at the back of my throat when this man speaks, but this man really does have quite the set of huevos to presume some moral high ground on the current situation.

When Duffy asked him whether or not he would back the government if elements of the Coalition’s manifesto were reflected in the budget, he displayed his typical open-mindedness and said no. Duffy gave the example of cutting the two week waiting period for those needing to claim Employment Insurance. Of course, Mike made the innocent mistake of saying that many would view this as a ‘gift’.

Rae, clearly in a feisty mood, switches his anger from the Prime Minister to Duffy, hectoring him on the insensitivity of labelling such a thing as a gift. Did Duffy not understand that these are real people who are suffering?

Nice display, Bob, but I entered the work force about the same time you became Premier of Ontario. I know what kind of highly indebted soup-kitchen economy you created, and I know how many once-thriving businesses ended up going underwater. Indeed, my father-in-law’s business was a victim of your useless half-backed schemes, and I am sure that you would not want to be going door-to-door canvassing on his street – especially during Christmas dinner when he is wielding the carving knife.

I lost 3 to 4 years of my working career, but I was the rule, not the exception – which is sad to say.

Personally, Mr. Rae, I think your grubby little paws are all over this Coalition scheme, and that Monsieur Dion was gullible enough to front it for you.

Consider the evidence.

The last time a federal Conservative government was brought down in this manner was the Clark government in 1980. Does anyone remember the name of the NDP Member of Parliament that moved the Non-Confidence motion? Yep, Bob Rae.

And what did we get? A return of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the dreaded NEP, and deficit spending that was so profligate that it took all of the Mulroney, Campbell, and Chretien governments time in office to get it under control.

Then, in 1985, Ontario Premier Frank Miller, just after having won a minority government, gets taken out by Liberal leader David Peterson, under an agreement signed with Ontario NDP Leader….wait for it….Bob Rae.

And what did we get from that arrangement? The incompetence of the Peterson government was followed by the even more pathetic Rae administration that, in one budget, increased Ontario’s debt load by more than all previous governments since 1867 combined – a government that gave young people the kind of Depression-era economy that at least they had something to talk to their grandparents about.

Such a dire situation required medicine so bitter, that today, it is not Bob Rae who gets vilified by many memory-deficient Ontarians, but his predecessor, Mike Harris – the guy who swept up all the beer bottles and declared ‘last call’ after Rae’s gang trashed the joint.

So, now – today – it seems that Bob Rae is trying for a Hat Trick, but in what, is the real question.

Is it a Hat Trick in brining down Conservative governments? Maybe, and if that is the case, then he suffers from some pathological neurosis that I am not familiar with. I suppose that he may just simply move to a province with a Tory government, establish himself long enough to get elected to their legislature, then try to bring the Premier down. Twice in Ottawa, and once in Ontario – maybe Ed Stelmach should be wary.

Then again, maybe he wants to destroy the free market capitalist system. Well, he opened the door for Trudeau to ramp up the debt between 1980 and 1984, and he put it on life support in Ontario between 1990 and 1994 – who knows?

Maybe he’s a New Democrat in Liberal clothing. I know he quit his old party, but he seems pretty wedded to this pact with Jack Layton, so maybe Liberals should be looking a little more closely.

In any event, Bob Rae is the last human being in Canada that can claim the moral high ground, whether it be democracy, or the economy.

Taking lessons on either one from him would be akin to taking sobriety lessons from a raging alcoholic.

Sounds harsh, but you see, I’m not the gentleman that Mike Duffy is.

I see your Johnson, and raise you a Dickens...

The 3 Stooges, and their surrogates, throw out the oft-used quotation by the learned Samuel Johnson, that "Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels."

They argue that due to 26% plus 18% plus 10% plus 6% of Canadians who scattered their vote among the 4 platforms, the law allows them the right to conveniently gloss over the internal distinctions, and rule as a unified front.

Indeed, it does, and not withstanding the prorogation, they may still legally get their chance at the end of January.

To this end, might I offer another quote - this from the character Mr. Bumble from Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" :

"If the law supposes that," said Mr. Bumble, squeezing his hat emphatically in both hands, "the law is a ass- a idiot. If that's the eye of the law, the law is a bachelor; and the worst I wish the law is, that his eye may be opened by experience- by experience."

We can only hope so much...

And the winner is...

Robert Fife of CTV News!

"Huh?", you ask?

Well, like many Canadians, the boob tube in Cole Lake was turned on to see the sales pitches from the various leaders over the current crisis.

Even if I am biased, Harper looked professional and poised. He even indicated that he was open to input from the opposition parties. I see Jeffrey Simpson of the Globe and Mail characterized it as mean-spirited. I guess unless Harper is willing to lay down on the centre line of Rideau Street and let all manner of traffic run over him, he's not showing enough contrition for them.

Anyhoo, great move by Dion - air a grainy YouTube styled video that looks like it was produced by a Grade 9 student in their parents basement (my apologies, they would have had better production values) and have it sent to the networks at least 10-15 minutes late - lots of time for the various anchors and reporters to ad-lib until somebody finally mentions that this doesn't look very good on Dion.

They all said that, and it was painfully obvious to anyone exposed to it.

The award goes to Robert Fife because he was the first journalist to point out the thing that made my wife and I laugh...The spine of a book on the shelf to the upper left of Dion's head that read in bold letters "HOT AIR".

I wondered who would mention it, and indicate that it wasn't very smart to have that sitting within the gaze of the cameras.

Hat's off to you Bob. You said it loud, and you said it first!

A Moment of Truth for some...

I am not a particularly religious man, but I am often struck by the simple philosophy that many religions offer. In particular, the events in Ottawa over the last couple of days reminded me of an oft-cited verse that asks “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

Democracy is a messy business, and the design of our institutions does allow for the kind of arrangement that the Liberal and New Democratic Parties, in conjunction, have conceived. That is not the question that Canadians must ask themselves, unless they wish to adopt another form of government that prohibits this possibility.Whether or not such an arrangement should take place is the real question that Canadians must grapple with.

The idea to alter the public funding arrangement for political parties may, admittedly, have been hamfisted and lacking in a cooperative spirit, but the sheer opportunitstic and cravenly self-aggrandizing response by Messrs. Dion, Layton, and Duceppe appear to be both conveniently rapid and massively over-reactive.

The coalition partners, to be sure, cannot sell a government led by Monsieur Dion, and backstopped by separatists solely on the grounds that their parties cannot survive on the voluntary political contributions of Canadians, and that they need government money to exist. Unfortunately, that appears to be the excuse, even if the ‘cri de coeur’ is economic salvation.

The fall of a Conservative government is a transitory event. Governments rise and fall numerous times in a democracy, and at some point in the future, those who sit in opposition eventually get their chance to demonstrate leadership. As disappointing as it may be for many, it will pass, and they will take stock. What may not be so temporary, or fleeting, is the damage done to those parties that have assented to this scheme.

Those who count themselves as Liberals, either as card-carrying members, or as voting supporters, must now ask themselves just what that means. What distinguishes a Liberal from a New Democrat when that party will possess Cabinet Ministers within a Dion government, and have the right, by signed agreement, to determine policies that you voted against just two months ago? What does national unity mean to you, as a Liberal, when your party has struck a faustian bargain with those who seek to vivisect the country? What is the definition of leadership in the Liberal Party when a man who has lost the confidence of the Canadian people a mere two months ago, and the confidence of his own colleagues even more recently, can still become Prime Minister?

People join parties for a myriad of reasons – for personal profit, or personal beliefs. Depending upon what rationale led some of you to become Liberals, you may not be bothered in the least. On the other hand, you may wonder whether or not the Liberal Party you see today is the one you have supported in good faith in the past.

Although I continue to be a Conservative partisan myself, it would be a lie for me to deny that I have considered what the limits to my loyalty are. Long ago, I decided the conditions under which I would willingly tear up my membership card, and declare to my colleagues that being a party member was no longer compatible with my core beliefs or my conscience.

Whether or not Liberal supporters agree, I would argue that such is the moment of truth for them. Each supporter of that party needs to ask themselves whether or not this is the kind of leadership that they can accept in good conscience. They need to ask themselves whether or not the accommodations to the NDP and to the Bloc Quebecois are a reasonable compromise under the circumstances, or do they reflect a base desire to hold power whatever the moral cost.

The bottom line is that if the Liberal Party of Canada represents nothing more than a cadre of political insiders keen on wresting power for its own sake, is that a party you can be proud of? Is that a party that you can vote for, campaign for, and – more importantly – defend over the course of the coming months?

If not, there is no disloyalty in walking away from a party that abandoned you first.

Lord help us all...

Roughly six weeks ago, Canadians were asked to choose a direction for Canada, and they did so.

It was, admittedly, a vague response, but if the numbers were any guide, they said that they wished for Stephen Harper to continue to lead a government, but one that stressed cooperation with other parties.

Okay, and even though I am a partisan, I will readily admit that the vote subsidy plan, as well as the moratorium on the ability of public sector unions to strike was not good sandbox etiquette. Consequently, I agree that the decision to rescind those decisions was the right one.

Nevertheless, those suggestions were floated this week, while the scheme to deep-six the Harper government, if Jack Layton is to be believed, has a much longer pedigree. Clearly, it was the excuse de jour they were looking for.

So, what will we get?

Apparently, we will have the Liberals dominating a government after receiving their lowest share of the popular vote since 1867. We will also have a Prime Minister who has already tendered his resignation as party leader, and has no less than three people attempting to replace him before the snow melts.

We are told that 4 wise men will lead us through the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression, but as none of them will come from the House or the Senate, they will be obstensibly outside the control of Parliament.

All of this is apparently being backstopped by a party whose sole purpose is the geographical and political vivisection of Canada.

The fiction that feeds this plot is that more people voted against the Conservatives than for them.

This is true, but that vote was split among different parties and platforms. The Liberal platform was not the NDP platform, was not the BQ platform, was not the Green platform.

Exactly what will be the platform that this cabal runs on? Will it be the Green Shift, or the NDP scheme, or do we just break up the country? What view prevails?

It is clear that the only economic security that the Opposition is looking for is the rise in pay that befits a member of the Cabinet.

Canadians want a leaders, not simply those who value their Liberal and NDP membership cards above their own citizenship.