What is Flaherty Playing At?

Sitting out here on Vancouver Island, I view Ottawa/Ontario politics with a degree of puzzlement. It's more than a degree, I just don't get it.

Now, as I understand it, Harpo's FinMin, Flaherty, is a recycled dud from the former Ontario government of Mike Harris, the outfit that surprised the good people of that province with a parting gift in the form of a $5-billion deficit.

There are certain things we all know. Globalization hasn't been good for North American manufacturing sector, this we know. Stephen Harper really gets off on playing Rovian wedge politics, this we know. Harpo can't stand Liberals, federally or provincially or even those who just show up at voting stations, this we know. SHarper's minions, that is to say his cabinet ministers, don't wipe their backsides without Steve's say so, this we know. Furious Leader has two eyes; one he uses to scan the country in search of carrion, the other he keeps focused on his home province and future energy superpower, Alberta, this we know.

So why is Harper using his trained chimp, Flaherty, to pick a fight with Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty? Is it because Harpo has been too busy defunding the federal government just as McGuinty has come, Oliver Twist style, asking for another bowl of gruel? Is that what this is all about? Does Harpo want to make Ontario voters believe their province's economic woes are their Liberal government's fault? What is it?

Now you know that a guy with a name like McGuinty who resembles nothing so much as a reincarnation of Ichabod Crane, doesn't come to power unless the outgoing bunch really screwed the pooch somewhere. The voters have to be some peed off to do that. Flaherty was, of course, a player in that reviled government so why, of all people, is Harpo using him to wage war on Ontario?

Sorry, I don't have any answers. Please enlighten me.