tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post8538542914858284597..comments2024-03-22T05:20:44.167-07:00Comments on The Disaffected Lib: Every Now and Then, Tom Friedman Gets It RightThe Mound of Soundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-74199772762414341182009-04-08T10:56:00.000-07:002009-04-08T10:56:00.000-07:00Fish, what's remotely ethical about bungling one o...Fish, what's remotely ethical about bungling one of the most important initiatives for Canada in the 21st century. Policies like this are justifiable, easily defensible, if you have a genuinely informed public. You can't begin to create those conditions in the midst of an election campaign. Can't be done. Dion totally screwed it up and gave Iggy an easy out in the process.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-78887308964921176982009-04-08T10:40:00.000-07:002009-04-08T10:40:00.000-07:00Well gentelmen, if I am "dead wrong" on this one, ...Well gentelmen, if I am "dead wrong" on this one, it will be neither the first nor the last time. I'm not convinced just yet though.<BR/><BR/>I've always been a little bit uneasy about public information campaigns. Yes, the government does have both a right and an obligation to inform the public about what it is doing, but this can be used as camouflage for partisan ads.<BR/><BR/>Over here in Ontario, old Mike the knife Harris used to use them regularly whenever he was about to introduce controversial measures. The ads were completely biased, and he was criticized for it.<BR/><BR/>Now even if Dion had not introduced the Green Shift, he still would have faced a lot of pressure from the Tories to publicly declare that he was not going to introduce a carbon tax (as he had already done during the leadership race). If he refused to do so, it would appear that he had a hidden agenda, if he did so and then did the exact opposite once in office it would be the GST all over again!<BR/><BR/>I do not doubt that it would have been more politically expedient to sweep the Green Shift under the rug under after he was elected, I'm just not sure it would have been the most ethical option.Fishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02726265917958181039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-447150754111856032009-04-08T07:47:00.000-07:002009-04-08T07:47:00.000-07:00Sorry Fish but you're dead wrong on this one. Thi...Sorry Fish but you're dead wrong on this one. This was an enormously critical initiative. Dion had neither the time or the money to properly introduce it to the Canadian public and build their support for it. Worse, he let the platform slip two weeks before he was ready to unveil it. I heard the scathing Tory attack ads on the radio before then. Harper and Layton turned this into so much electoral roadkill before Dion even opened his mouth.<BR/><BR/>There are two reasons Ignatieff won't be endorsing a carbon tax (he's already publicly rejected the idea as almost silly). One is that Dion damaged the concept, the other is that he doesn't have a spine.The Mound of Soundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09023839743772372922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-44177391092114988032009-04-08T07:10:00.000-07:002009-04-08T07:10:00.000-07:00Fish, I like Dion too but it was a bad move. I sai...Fish, I like Dion too but it was a bad move. I said right away that he would take horrible beating over the carbon tax. You should consider readind these two post of mine http://ledaro.blogspot.com/search?q=carbon+tax&x=52&y=13<BR/><BR/>It is not misleading during an election if he had not talked about carbon tax. There was a need for extensive public education and raising awareness which a government can do because it has resources. After you get enough following then you unveil the policy. There is nothing dishonest about it.LeDarohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12526776746689708239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32931256.post-75592249783338225212009-04-08T05:47:00.000-07:002009-04-08T05:47:00.000-07:00Mound, take it easy on poor old Dion!I admire him ...Mound, take it easy on poor old Dion!<BR/><BR/>I admire him for making the carbon tax a cornerstone of his campaign, naive as it may have been.<BR/><BR/>How often do we hear about people complaining that politicians say one thing during their campaign and then do another once they're elected?<BR/><BR/>For once a politician actually came out and said what he was going to do... for which he was crucified.<BR/><BR/>I think it would be totally immoral to implement such a program without a proper mandate from the people, so waiting until he has formed the government to unveil his plan wasn't really much of an option for Dion.<BR/><BR/>Whether they understood it or not, voters rejected the Green Shift. There's nothing stopping us from putting it to them again, except once people have made up their minds, it can be difficult to get them to see things your way.Fishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02726265917958181039noreply@blogger.com