Thursday, April 14, 2005

Three Ring Circus

What an odd day on Parliament Hill. First of all, the Liberal Kyoto plan was revealed, garnering less fanfare than Peter MacKay's speeding ticket last week. It certainly received less media attention than the never ending speculation about the innocuous Kyoto amendment last month that threatened to bring the government down.

On the topic of hot air, there were some absolutely jaw dropping quotes heard on the hill today. I almost wish the following was satire, but alas, the following were all said today:


"We have no room for traitors," said Anne McLellan on the National tonight, in reference to David Kilgour's defection. Well, except for Scott Brison and Jean Lapierre.

"You don't want to be a Liberal? Don't stay in my caucus. You don't believe in liberalism? Get the [expletive] out." said MP Jim Karygiannis about David Kilgour. Yes, the same Jim Karygiannis who has built up a reputation as one of the least Liberal and least loyal members of the Liberal caucus.

"It's a good position to be in, you don't want to peak too soon." Said Jean Lapierre, on the Liberals nose-dive in the polls in Quebec on the National. Lapierre, who took over as Martin's Quebec Lieutenant amid speculation the Bloc was about to go the way of the Socreds, refused to reveal when he hopes the party will "peak" in Quebec. 2008? 2012?

"Stephen Harper has a hidden agenda on health care." Screamed Paul Martin in the house. Woah. Health care is an issue again? Even after it's been fixed for a generation? Colour me confused.

"We are not prepared to see Stephen Harper and Gilles Ducceppe become this decade's version of Brian Mulroney and Lucien Bouchard." Said the Prime Minister in the House of Commons today as his Quebec Lieutenant, who co-founded the Bloc Quebecois with Lucien Bouchard, cheered him on.


And finally, the quote of the day:

"Stephen Harper sent Mike Harris and Preston Manning to reveal his health care platform" said Martin. I'm sorry. But this one is just too rich. A former Progressive Conservative Premier and the former leader of a defunct party can represent the Conservative health care vision but when high ranking Liberals are involved in scandal, they're "rogue Liberals"? This is an absolutely mind-boggling contradiction to me. I can't remember the last time a federal government looked this desperate.

Thursday Morning Update: Paul Martin is going to run on national unity and on a "who speaks for Canada?" platform. Wow. The ghost of RB Bennett's "new deal" is alive and with this deathbed conversion. If this is true, then Stephen Harper is going to have a fun time.

"How many Bloc Quebecois founders are in the Conservative caucus right now?"

"Paul, give me one example of a time when you have actually stood up to a Provincial Premier."

And best of all, courtesy of matt in the comments section,

"Liberals: The cause of, and solution to, Canada's unity problem."

11 Comments:

  • I guess the silver lining for Liberals is that if they lose the next election, they'll lose the current slew of advisers in the PMO that have been feeding Martin his advice. Even before Gomery, I've wondered about this bunch.

    By Blogger Oxford County Liberals, at 5:25 a.m.  

  • The current core of advisors horrible. If you are going to go negative go negative. Harper: Canada is "second tier" "smug" and "resentful" How dare Harper accuse the Liberals of racism for failing to hold an inquiry into the Mulroney's Conservative government air India failings. Stephen Harper has some gall to set himself up as the champion of Vancouver’s Indo Canadian community. Just a few years ago he described some of the ridings where many live as urban ghettos populated by Asian immigrants who have not integrated into Canadian society. He has some gall when it was he who failed to condemn a Conservative candidate who spoke of an “Asian invasion” and instead condemned those outraged by her remarks as propagating a form of McCarthyism.

    By Blogger Koby, at 6:17 a.m.  

  • You know, intellectual honesty is a trait rarely observed in a Liberal. Good job. (Yes, this is a compliment)

    By Blogger Mike Brock, at 12:30 p.m.  

  • I think you're a bit unfair on some of these counts. However, you are right that this "unity" message is a horrible idea. They should stick to three things:

    1) We called the commission and Paul Martin has taken responsibility to clean up this mess

    2) Who do you trust to run the country? Certainly not Stephen Harper!

    3) Here are Liberal policies to move Canada forward

    All the rest reminds me of the first three weeks of the last election.

    By Blogger Jason Cherniak, at 2:07 p.m.  

  • Yeah Jason, I think we're in for a replay of 2004.

    "Liberal corruption" versus "hidden agenda"

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 3:07 p.m.  

  • We, as voters, need to start taking the blame for this crap. We reward people for lying. We reward them for negative campaigning. We reward them for not having any f*&^*($ ideas.

    How about we elect someone who has the guts to tell us what they really think, even if it doesn't make their opponents look evil, and even if we might not all agree?

    But no. That's not an option. And it's our fault.

    By Blogger Gauntlet, at 6:32 p.m.  

  • Gauntlet: Sounds like you're an NDP voter :)

    By Blogger Oxford County Liberals, at 8:09 p.m.  

  • Scott,

    You might be onto something. Gauntlet's little oration pretty much sums up the sentiments that motivated me to join the NDP.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 2:22 p.m.  

  • The one I came up with was:

    Because patriotism trumps corruption. Vote Liberal.

    By Blogger Mark Richard Francis, at 11:02 p.m.  

  • Harper is scary man! He is white and young and not so bad lookin' that is scary to an amigo like me!!

    We need a man like Paulo Martino who looks like an old woman who looks like a dog from behind and looking up!

    By Blogger Walsh Writes, at 10:33 a.m.  

  • By Anonymous 슬롯커뮤니티, at 10:52 p.m.  

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