I've decided this will be the last post I'll make on the hapless LPC leadership until there's some major change at the top.
Dion's milquetoast performance during the immigration vote was really pathetic although it gave his ever loyal apologists yet another opportunity to expound on his tactical brilliance. Yet that's not what's driven me from Mr. Dion's camp. It's his rank stupidity that bothers me.
Mr. Dion. If you have a signature policy, one you're actually willing to fight an election over, then keep it to yourself until you're ready to unveil it and until you're ready to explain it and until you're ready to sell it and until you're ready to defend it.
Instead of acting like the leader of a political party fit to govern this country, Mr. Dion let the vague idea of his policy dribble out, leaving the policy and the party he's supposed to lead vulnerable to a summer long spin campaign by the Cons. If he doesn't want to explain it, he can't complain when the Cons take full advantage of that blunder. They've got the cash advantage right now and they're all too willing to spend when we give them such a juicy opening.
So, thanks Stephane, for handing the Cons a summer's worth of rich propaganda opportunities on a neat, little platter. Maybe you can take the summer to come up with an idea that might actually help the Liberal Party. If you can't come up with something, let me know. I've got one idea that I know will help.
17 comments:
I'm sure your fellow libloggers will be along shortly to tell you to shut up, personally I think you are right. This current group running the Libs have no political instincts whatsoever. They should get on their knees and beg Kinsella to help them dig out of the hole they are in.
I'm staying tuned to this blog today...!! Canada is a much better country when both major party's have strong leadership.
It doesnt right now. Just step down Mr Dion.
billg
It is sad but it is true. A very sad day in the recent of history of Canada indeed. Harper is putting in place his hidden agenda and apartheid of some kind when it comes to new immigration legislation.
Really? If anything don't you think Dion's actions have forced Harper and the CPC to define themselves ... they've chosen Oily the Splot as their mascot for crying out loud.
Hidden agenda's dont get passed through the HOC Ledaro..nor does apartheid..jeez, now both sides are fear mongering.
billg
Anon 10:31. No I don't think Dion's actions have forced the Harpos to define themselves. We can mock them for the oily spot but that's not going to carry much weight with the general public. The Cons ads, especially given their spin about extra taxes, will carry the day. They know it.
bill, my friend if minister of immigration can pick and choose who should enter the country then what is it. What happened to object criteria? What happened to progressive policies put in place by Trudeau?
Ledaro, my friend, you know full well that the minister cannot pick and choose by themelves, there are checks and balances. You also know that business's all over Canada are crying for these policy's to be changed. Mr Trudeau and the Liberals at the time could not forsee the problems and Canada's growth that the old policy's couldnt handle or help. 800,000 people in a que, the best wait a couple of years and go somewhere else...I thought when something was broke..you fix it?
I'm not laying blame at the Liberals, I'm just saying that the country's needs have changed and immigration should change to meet the needs. billg
I'd like the actual specifics of the Green Shift out as well Mound.. but really? The extra taxes attack will carry the day?
It hasn't so far - polls still show a majority would approve of a carbon tax in the country. Also, this isn't America - you don't give Canadians much credit. If they see that a tax on one thing is going to benefit the environment while their taxes get lowered elsewhere.. they will accept it.
As for the rest of your "diatribe", you've been a Dion critic almost since he won, so I'm not surprised to see your venom here today.
Bill, I have to read the legislation in full to further comment. However, when a politician is given the authority to make final decision then it is very troublesome because objective criteria will be overlooked and check and balances are removed – bureaucrats cannot provide such check and balances.
Moreover Bloc and NDP have strongly opposed the bill for the same reasons. Liberals have used favourite their tactics in recent months that "we are against it but we will not defeat it because we are not ready for an election". Progressive immigration policy was Liberals’ legacy and this is a big let down.
Maybe your right Scott. Maybe the Conservative ads starting with "Zap your Frozen" then fading to "no 18 cent gas tax"...then heading on over to "we will cancel the GST"...then maybe even throw in Mr Mcguinty's.."I will not lower you tax's...but I will not raise them either"...and then show Mr Dion introducing a new tax that he absolutely promises will not really be a tax that costs anything...maybe they wont even bother running them. What part of Warren Kinnsela's warning and begging not to do this didnt any of you get? billg
Gee Scott, do you think our leader could have foreseen the wisdom of getting the details of the Green Shift out in the public before the summer recess or the mischief the Harpies could make of it if he didn't?
Even Mahatma Ghandi was a fighter, Scott. Politics is a blood sport, something for which Mr. Dion has shown no instincts. It's like he came out of his corner, leading with his chin, after tying his own hands behind his back.
That's not venom Scott, it's reality. Even Garth Turner knows that Dion utterly botched the essential communications aspect of his Green Shift.
There's no excuse for that measure of amateurishness. None.
I'm not debating the past record of the Liberal immigration policy, I'm saying that this is progressive, and, as a business owner who is getting tired of calling the union office only to be told that the shop is empty, I would applaud this regardless of who brought it to the HOC's. I guess what I'm saying is, this shouldnt be partisan. Does a country have the right to pick the immigrants that are desperately needed, the immigrants that can help Canada move forward? I agree that there has to be a mix of compassion and common sense, but, if your saying its first come first serve and, that making professionals and trades people take a ticket that says call us back in 8 years is the Liberal legacy then I disagree...that was never the intent of the original Immigration Policy, and, I hope its not the new one. billg
Billg: Warren is not correct about everything he opines on, as highly as I think of him.. and I don't believe him to be correct on this measure. It's the right policy to be advocating for, and if we go down to defeat on it, so be it.
I want details, Mound, as I said.. but I don't think its been that much of a disaster a you make it out to be - as it's rather hard to criticize or attack a policy when the specifics aren't out there to attack.. plus I think there's been some value in sounding out to the public that a carbon tax is being envisioned.
We're told that the specifics will be released at the end of this month. I'd like it faster, but when we're not in an election campaign, and seeing what little the polls have moved (note the 2 party polarization poll yesterday from Decima that favours the liberals) I have my doubts this has hurt as much as you and others claim.
I am not saying that current immigration policy is perfect. Surely improvements can be made to expedite to meet the needs of business and society in general. I agree with you there. But giving powers to the immigration minister is not the answer. What it does is remove the checks and balances. Decisions are made on the whims of the minister. You never want to give dictatorial powers to a politician and Mr. Harper is headed in that direction – whether it is PMO or now new immigration legislation.
It seems to me, Scott, that when you're unveiling what promises to be your campaign platform, you treat it as such.
You don't cock the trigger, you fire and with both barrels. You make sure that you control your message, immunize it as much as possible from the spin the other side will throw at it.
This Green Shift ought not to have been brought out before the summer recess. The time for it should have been the fall. The unveiling should have been accompanied by clear details and coherent policy explanations.
By the time Dion gets his act together the Cons will have had the window of opportunity they needed to spin this like crazy. When the details finally do emerge it'll be summer and who'll be listening?
I see where your going ledaro, I disagree a little, but, I see your point. I have a little more faith in both Liberal and Conservative Immigration Ministers then you do.
billg
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