Wild About Writing

Michael Ignatieff has dealt himself a hand he hopes will put him in charge in the high stakes political game of who’s going to govern Canada.

The Liberal leader’s stance on the federal budget — saying he will let it pass but will put the government “on probation” — may for the moment give him the upper hand in the war of nerves over handling of the economic crisis.

But it’s the death-knell of the Liberal-NDP Coalition. And he’s dealt the country a doubtful hand. He’s disappointed many by not demanding specific improvements to Finance Minister Flaherty’s flawed fiscal plan — backed up by the threat of non-confidence.

Iggy says a Liberal amendment will call on the government to issue public reports in March, June and November on how well it’s carrying out the commitments it made in the budget.

And in case Prime Minister Harper isn’t paying attention, Iggy adds, “each will be an opportunity to withdraw our confidence. We’ll watch like hawks.”

The Liberal leader says it’s not the Opposition’s role to rewrite the budget. He allowed that it does contain some good measures. They’re there, he said, “only because Opposition parties did their jobs. The system worked.”

He was referring, of course, to the threat of a Liberal-NDP Coalition that led to the seven-week shutdown of Parliament, and speeded up the presentaiton of a 2009 budget.

Mr. Ignatieff indicates he prefers to leave the Harper government in office rather than assume power at the head of a Coalition. We know he’s never been keen on the idea.

He’s saying this is not the time for an election. This sidesteps the reality that if the the government fell now, the Governor General would have no choice but to call on Iggy.

So the Liberal leader’s position disappoints me. He’s not offered specific changes that would make the budget better. He clearly doesn’t want to lead a Coalition into power, especially during a recession.

As I’ve written, he prefers to wait for the opportunity to force an election that the Liberals would have a good chance of winning.

His stance leaves him vulnerable to Conservative charges of “chicken.” And to Liberal complaints that he lacks the “royal jelly” of a real leader.

So will the Conservatives accept Iggy’s amendments? You bet, especially in view of NDP leader Jack Layton’s decision to veto any Liberal motion.

“There’s a new coalition on Parliament Hill,” says Layton. “A Liberal-Conservative coalition. Mr. Ignatieff has made his choice.”