A flurry of rallies
Rather than being oblivious to what’s happened in Parliament, a lot of Canadians cared enough about what’s been going in Ottawa to turn up at rallies across the country this snowy Saturday.
It’s good to see public involvement. But no matter what happens in the political/pr wars over the next 7 weeks, the decision on who’s to govern the country is up to Parliament.
If the Opposition parties defeat Mr. Harper onhis budget, and there’s a coalition available that can win the confidence of the House, the Governor General will have the responsibility of giving it a chance to form a ministry.
Some good pieces in the media today.
Dan Tisch, my successor at Argyle Communications, writes in the Toronto Star on how the example of Barack Obama has been lost on Ottawa.
In the National Post, Craig Offman discusses the toxic psychology of Mr. Harper, and David Frum warns that the danger for the Prime Minister is not over yet.
But perhaps the piece attracting the most attention is John Manley’s article in the Globe and Mail. He calls outright for Stephane Dion’s resignation, and urges the Liberals to get out of the coalition with the NDP.
Liberal MPs are meeting in caucus on Wednesday. Mr. Dion will face his party’s Senators the day before. After his disastrous performance in Thursday night’s TV speech, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Dion is forced to step down before Christmas.
If Mr. Dion’s resignation is almost a sure thing, how about the future of the Coalition? That’s less clear. The issue seems to be splitting the leadership candidates. Bob Rae is campaigning is in favor of the Coalition. Michael Ignatieff seems to be standing back, ready to pick up the pieces if the Liberals decide to undo Mr. Dion’s work.
As Jean Chretien used to say, “Fasten your seat belts — it’ll be a helluva ride!!
