What would Harper do?

I realized another way to look at Ignatieff’s choice for how to proceed on the budget. He needs to ask himself “What would Harper do?”

Let’s hypothesize:

After a tense political struggle, a politically weakened Michael Ignatieff and his ruling minority Liberals returned to parliament to present a budget that would appease the threat of a coalition of the Harper Conservatives and Layton NDP.

Finance Minister John McCallum’s budget came out like a shotgun blast with money for everyone. It also ended up reversing the 11-year trend, started by the Conservatives, of budget surpluses. It also seemed to try to appeal to soft conservatives with lots of tax cuts.

Further, most of the releases of the past week have not featured Ignatieff, instead featuring his top ministers. Prior to the fiascos of the end of 2008, Ignatieff had held a tight leash on all his ministers.

This all signalled to Harper that Iggy and the Liberals are weak. Bolstered by a rise in the polls at the expense of his competition, Harper plans to pounce and remove Ignatieff and the Liberals from their position of power.

Harper wouldn’t blink at an opportunity like this.

Now, this isn’t to say whether or not Iggy should play the same kinds of games as Harper, but at this point, Harper’s still setting the rules.

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2 thoughts on “What would Harper do?”

  1. The Rational Number says:

    “coalition of the Harper Conservatives and Layton NDP” – sorry, it’s difficult to stop laughing long enough to continue.

    When you ask it this way, then yes, I’d see Harper grab for power.

    But Iggy isn’t Harper. He isn’t Dion either. I’m expecting him to present an amendment.

    Reply
  2. MrvnMouse says:

    I think Ignatieff needs to pick up a copy of “Return of the Political” by Chantal Mouffe. Especially if he thinks that some sorta universalist ideal where the Cons will work happily and openly with him is possible with today’s political climate in Canada.

    Reply

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