Can't Have It Both Ways...Or Can You?
Oops, 'Canada's New Government' has decided to pre-empt the usual partisan election adverts and has launched a number of 'attack ads' against the Liberal party's new leader, Stephane Dion. Stephen Harper and his gang are being accused of rushing things; after all, there's been no move yet to unseat the Conservative government has there? So what's the hurry, why the worry? Can it be that the Conservatives feel the Liberals are on a roll and present a ready and present danger?
Well, in a roundabout way the Conservatives have been placed on notice by none other than Mr. Dion who just last week gave a media interview during which he assured he isn't agitating for an election yet, but he is prepared to vote against the Conservative government's new budget as soon as it's brought down even though he doesn't quite know exactly what's in it. Excuse me? if that isn't pre-planned agitation for an election what exactly is it?
Well, the House has resumed for its winter sitting and generally all of our elected representatives are behaving like junior high social misfits. The boisterous catcalls and speech interruptions, sly interventions and accusations don't exactly reflect civility in the broad interests of governing the country to the benefit of its long-suffering citizens. So the scene is set: antagonistic rhetoric blooming afoul of the best of intentions which we are assured represents the mind-sets of all our Members of Parliament.
With the resumption of House activities and the re-emergence of aggrieved accusations and denials comes the front-and-centre truth that this is a minority government, hoping for a majority. The Liberals claim to have regrouped and revised themselves, re-orienting toward trustworthiness, leaving the tawdry past behind as a dim memory. Not so long past, alas; not so dim the memory. Yet they're busy claiming the high ground as defenders of the public purse, public daycare, medicare and defense policies, and most of all - the environment.
Climate has become the really hot topic of the day. Just slightly edging out our mission in Afghanistan, accusations of sole-sourced military acquisitions, ignoring the equality rights of Canadian women, the parlous state of health services in the country and the duplicity of the Conservatives in upsetting income trust promises. All important issues to Canadians at various levels, all of which were either initiated, faltered, ignored or under attack under the previous Liberal administration.
So we have attack ads being aired, with the Conservatives taking the initiative after the assurance by the Liberals that their days in governance are numbered. Could be a month or two from now, a bit later, but it's inevitable; a new election will be called upon the dissolution of the current minority government. These advertisements demonstrate the fragile position of the Liberals, highlighted by their very own on-camera performances during the leadership race. Isn't that on? Why not? Criticism out of the horse's mouth.
Why cry foul when the Liberals have their own unabashedly-questionable record of attack ads such at those commercials they aired warning the electorate that Stephen Harper and his cohorts meant to post the army in Canadian cities; a slight misinterpretation of his thought-provoking idea of building a military-emergency presence close to cities. When the gaffe-prone Stockwell Day challenged the Liberals the meanness of the personal attack ads launched against his suitability - as an antedeluvian religio-nut - to govern hit new lows.
And dear me, a full seven months before a provincial general election the Ontario Liberals have just unveiled a series of TV ads aimed at a specific audience of ethnic groups. This, in the wake of their unsuccessful attack ads launched during a byelection when, in attacking the suitability of the ultimately-successful NDP candidate, they revealed that Cheri DeNovo, a United Church minister, was once a drug-smuggling street kid.
Urp, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Well, in a roundabout way the Conservatives have been placed on notice by none other than Mr. Dion who just last week gave a media interview during which he assured he isn't agitating for an election yet, but he is prepared to vote against the Conservative government's new budget as soon as it's brought down even though he doesn't quite know exactly what's in it. Excuse me? if that isn't pre-planned agitation for an election what exactly is it?
Well, the House has resumed for its winter sitting and generally all of our elected representatives are behaving like junior high social misfits. The boisterous catcalls and speech interruptions, sly interventions and accusations don't exactly reflect civility in the broad interests of governing the country to the benefit of its long-suffering citizens. So the scene is set: antagonistic rhetoric blooming afoul of the best of intentions which we are assured represents the mind-sets of all our Members of Parliament.
With the resumption of House activities and the re-emergence of aggrieved accusations and denials comes the front-and-centre truth that this is a minority government, hoping for a majority. The Liberals claim to have regrouped and revised themselves, re-orienting toward trustworthiness, leaving the tawdry past behind as a dim memory. Not so long past, alas; not so dim the memory. Yet they're busy claiming the high ground as defenders of the public purse, public daycare, medicare and defense policies, and most of all - the environment.
Climate has become the really hot topic of the day. Just slightly edging out our mission in Afghanistan, accusations of sole-sourced military acquisitions, ignoring the equality rights of Canadian women, the parlous state of health services in the country and the duplicity of the Conservatives in upsetting income trust promises. All important issues to Canadians at various levels, all of which were either initiated, faltered, ignored or under attack under the previous Liberal administration.
So we have attack ads being aired, with the Conservatives taking the initiative after the assurance by the Liberals that their days in governance are numbered. Could be a month or two from now, a bit later, but it's inevitable; a new election will be called upon the dissolution of the current minority government. These advertisements demonstrate the fragile position of the Liberals, highlighted by their very own on-camera performances during the leadership race. Isn't that on? Why not? Criticism out of the horse's mouth.
Why cry foul when the Liberals have their own unabashedly-questionable record of attack ads such at those commercials they aired warning the electorate that Stephen Harper and his cohorts meant to post the army in Canadian cities; a slight misinterpretation of his thought-provoking idea of building a military-emergency presence close to cities. When the gaffe-prone Stockwell Day challenged the Liberals the meanness of the personal attack ads launched against his suitability - as an antedeluvian religio-nut - to govern hit new lows.
And dear me, a full seven months before a provincial general election the Ontario Liberals have just unveiled a series of TV ads aimed at a specific audience of ethnic groups. This, in the wake of their unsuccessful attack ads launched during a byelection when, in attacking the suitability of the ultimately-successful NDP candidate, they revealed that Cheri DeNovo, a United Church minister, was once a drug-smuggling street kid.
Urp, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Labels: Politics of Convenience
posted by Pieface | 11:58 AM
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