bcerintoronto | Published

     Yesterday, I wrote about the need for Michael Ignatieff to start letting Canadians know who he is, what he's about and why he's here.
Today, we see a very good example of what I was getting at, in Susan Delacourt's story on Ignatieff's position on supporting the arts:Liberal Leader Michael ...">                              

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     Michael Ignatieff volunteering with Habitat for Humanity today in Coburg.
Stephen Harper needing a few tries and help from an expert to work an nail gun on some guy's wall while pr...">                              

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     Every once in a blue moon, when hell has frozen over or a bus transmission has malfunctioned, I find myself actually agreeing with something that L. Ian MacDonald has written. One of those two things must have happened, because this is one of those times.
I agree with his comments on Stephen Harper’s own bungle-filled 2005 boonies tour (how short some people's memories are). And while I wouldn’t say what he says h...">                              

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     In a bold and courageous move yesterday, Conservative minister Rona Ambrose ended years of ambiguity in the government’s position on this key issue by making it clear: the Conservative Party thinks murder is wrong:

"Killing or mutilating anyone, least of all a family member, is utterly unacceptable under all circumstances," Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for the Status of Women, said Monday.

Ambrose went on to announce bold legislative action would be forthcoming to make murder a crime under the law:

She also said the government is “looking at” adding honour killing as a separate charge to the Criminal Code.

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     against a merger with the NDP. So is every MP who has spoken on or off the record about it, including those seen as the most likely heirs apparent. Every party executive I've heard from is opposed. The leader of the NDP, the party we'd supposedly merge with, is firmly against it, along with every one of their MPs that has spoken on or off the record about it. The media pundits think it's ridiculous (usually a cause for closer consideration, to be honest). And as for the grassroots, if you want to believe polling, most Liberals are opposed, most NDPers are opposed, and so are most Canadians. Which echoes the bulk of the conversations I've had.
Still, though, it's the story that refuses to die. Because there do appear to be at least a few p...">                              

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     Ignatieff's clarification on coalitions, and the predictable Conservative response of fear mongering and doomsday prophecies.
In the latest return-fire from unnamed Iggy spokesthingy, I see the seeds of a promising way to turn the narrative on this and reframe it on better ground:The Ignatieff official says that their plan – “repeated many times” – is to form a Liberal government.“So there you go. We’ll run to form a Liberal government. And we will work with everybody – Conservatives included – to make Parliament a place where respectful and meaningful debates happen, not the disgraceful Bairdesque circus Conservatives seem to love so much.”
I like where this is going. W...">                              

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     In the wake of the story of a Quebec woman who wears a niqab (a head garment which is worn over the entire face with a slit for the eyes) filing a human rights complaint over her expulsion from a French course at a Montreal-area college, federal Conservative Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Josée Verner waded-into the fracas last week.

In an interview with a Quebec City radio station, ...">                              

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     donation (or $210.0 if you prefer) to the Liberal Party of Canada, or your local Liberal riding association, today.

It's also coming to the end of 2009, so tomorrow is your last chance to get your end of year donations in to have them count for the 2009 tax year, so you can get the deductions back on your income tax in a few months. If it's your first donation of the year, a $20.10 donation could cost you just $5.03.

I just made my $20.10 donation. And it'd be great to send a message by seeing lots of other $20.10 donations in the Q4 numbers. So go to the Liberal Web site today and make your donation to send a message to the Harper Conservatives that ordinary Canadians don't ...">                              

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     we'd do great things, but the election speculation ate our homework:
Important reforms to Canada's immigration system ranging from changes to refugee asylum to better regulation of immigration consultants are on hold because of the threat of an election, says Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.

Kenney made the comment to reporters as he announced the government will fast track immigration and visa applications for citizens of the Philippines impacted by this week's typhoon.

"I have been working on a number of important files, including better regulation of immigration consultants, improvements to the nanny program, the live-in caretaker program and ... reform of the asylum system," he said. "All of those things have been put on hold, indefinite...">                              

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     When people would say that Stephen Harper’s master plan was to hold onto power through the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, and then ride the post-Olympic euphoria to electoral fame and majority glory, I’d always scoff. What does the Olympics have to do with confidence in the federal government, I’d ask? How, pray tell, would, say, gold in Men’s Hockey translate into gold for a guy who has just been talking about writing a book on hockey?

Well, I’ve been proven wron...">                              

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     The Conservatives are jumping all over a little private members bill introduced recently by Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla. It's similar to a bill quietly introduced by former Liberal MP in the last parliament, that won support from the BQ and NDP before dying on the order paper when the Harper Conservatives forced the last election. It's a bill that deals with pension benefits for immigrant seniors:
The minority Conservative government is in full opposition mode over a Liberal MP's private member's bill th...">                              

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Unfortunately I didn't click-through and haven't been able to get it back despite much refresing, so I don't know if Harper really wants to may off my debts (offer only valid in Ontario, oddly, sorry Alberta) or if its (much more likely) just some kind of weird Facebook marketing mash-up that has nothing to do with the feds (FB...">                              

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     ushed announcement on proposed employment insurance reforms (after a summer of offering nothing but hot air) I can't say I'm overly impressed:
The Tory government is proposing legislation to extend employment insurance by up to 20 weeks for long-tenured workers, Human Resources Minister Diane Finley announced Monday.

Finley said the proposed measures, which would cost $935 million, would provide from five to 20 weeks of additional benefits depending on how long an eligible individual has been working and paying into EI.

Finley said the proposed legislation is a temporary measure that will be phased out gradually as the economy improves.
That's all fine and dandy, extended benefits are good. But it will do nothing for the many thousands of unemployed Canadians that don't even qualify for...">                              

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     my take on yesterday's events over at the National Post's Full Comment blog, where I'll be writing periodically:
You can agree with Michael Ignatieff’s declaration Tuesday that the Liberal Party will no longer support the Conservative government when parliament returns this fall (possibly triggering a fall election) or you can disagree with it, but one thing is for sure: going into the fall, the Liberals have succeeded in radically altering the dynamic, putting the other parties on the defensive for the first time in years.
(more)
And here's a taste of Michael's speech yesterday:
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     There’s a growing salmon crisis in British Columbia, and you can be assured it’s going to be an election issue on the left coast this fall, or whenever the next campaign comes. The fishery is a critical industry to the province that crosses many levels: commercial fishing, tourism, First Nations. The ripples of the apparent collapse of the Fraser River sockeye run, which DFO is now projecting will number 1.7 million sockeye after earlier projecting 13 million, will be widespread.

Liberal MP ...">                              

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     Ignatieff Hiding in Plain Sight Summer Tourapolozza 2009. Apologies. Don't mistake the lack of updates as evidence he has been traveling or something. I assure you, that is most decidedly not the case.

For example, here's some of the media hits his non-travels didn't generate the last few days:

Charlottetown Guardian: Get ready for possible fall vote, Ignatieff tells Egmont Liberals...">                              

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     Here's Michael not touring a farmer's market in Peterborough this morning. Word is Zsuzsanna did not buy fresh green beans which...">                              

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     In and Out scandal.

According to CP, Elections Canada has filed its final argument in the case with the court, an argument CP calls "hard-hitting" that provides morre details on In and Out, which Elections Canada calls a "scheme."
``Senior officials in the party appear to have determined that the party's legal spending limit would not allow it to spend as much as it wished on its national advertising program,'' says the brief by lawyer Barbara McIsaac.

The 64-page document cites party emails, as well as memos and email correspondence with the agency that placed the ads, to argue the expenses were actually incurred by the party rathe...">                              

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     on Saanich-Gulf Islands ads, and Niki on the Conservative campus club controversy.

These were both questions that the NDP knew would be ruled out of order – questions need to relate to the portfolio of the minister, say the rules -- so it’s all a bit of theatre. Still, valid issues (to politicos at least, maybe not at the kitchen table), and I can’t recall the last time a party had three (with Siksay’s supplemental) questions disallowed in the same QP.

Here’s the first, from Siksay (this is t...">                              

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     Conservatives are dropping the $3.5 million libel lawsuit against the Liberal Party over the Cadman affair. Gee, the Prime Minister dropping a libel lawsuit against the main opposition party, questions still unanswered about just what "financial considerations" they offered a dying MP for his vote and what Harper knew and when. That seems newsworthy, yes?

Let's see how our infamous "liberal" media, as my conservative friends insist on liking to call them, are playing the story.

First, here's the National Post. They do give the story third-billing, so that's something. It might have gotten top billing, but this peanut butter story makes Watergate look like a church picnic, so how could they not lead with it?...">                              

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     the Conservatives have dropped their $3.5 million libel lawsuit against the Liberal Party over the Cadman affair.
Stephen Harper has dropped a $3.5-million defamation suit against the Liberal party over the Cadman affair.

A terse news release says the prime minister and the Federal Liberal Agency of Canada have agreed to settle all issues related to the suit.

The action has been dismissed without costs awarded to either side and both parties have agreed not to comment further.

While there will be no public commentary and no costs awarded, I've been working my sources in Ottawa and I've learned some of the terms of the resolution. It relates to this:

Harper's initial defamation claim was for ...">                              

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     Michael Ignatieff and Gerard Kennedy tag-teamed the Conservatives in question period today on the over-distribution of infrastructure funding to Conservative-held ridings, an admitted and unabashed Conservative practice.



Background:
* 78 per cent of Building Canada Fund announcements made in Conservative ridings

Media:
* Tories bulking up own ridings with infrastructure funds: Liberals
* Feds rewarding Tory ridings, say Liberals
* ...">                              

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     Liberal interim leader Michael Ignatieff was the first guest today on the debut edition of Power Play, hosted by Tom Clark, the successor to Mike Duffy Live. Topics of discussion included the budget, equalization, the Liberal Newfoundland MPs, himself, his goals, power, and the NY Times piece over the weekend.



Speaking of the budget, the Liberal amendment passed tonight. Here's a partial transcript of Ignatieff's scrum comments after the vote:
THE FEDERATION CALCULATES RESOURCE REVENUES. IT'S A TECHNICAL ISSUE, BUT ON THE 27th OF JANUARY, BOOM, OUT OF THE CLEAR, BLUE SKY, NEWFOUNDLAND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES. INTO THE FEDERAL TRANSFERS THAT THEY WOULD RECEIVE, A...">                              

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     You may remember Dana Larsen as the former NDP candidate for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country. He was the first of three NDP candidates in B.C. during the 2008 campaign that were forced to drop out of the race, all within about a week. The other two being, of course, Kirk Tousaw in Vancouver-Q...">                              

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