One thing I’ve always found a bit of a pain about soap operas are their rather long drawn out plot (or lack thereof). Someone deciding to create a soap of the latest goings on in Ottawa might just get my attention. So let’s see, the story to this point…..

On October 14th, Canadians granted the Conservatives yet another minority government in the general election. At the same time that was taking place, the world’s economy (including Canada’s) was going to hell in a handbasket at a rate that few even mused about. The Liberals and the NDP both campaigned with promises of economic stimulus while the Conservatives don’t worry, be happy approach until the polls showed them dropping hard over their lack of notice to the economy. All three parties declared that Canada would not run a deficit under their watch.

On Nov 18th, Parliament opened with the ‘kinder, gentler’ Prime Minister Harper indicating that this session would be more civil. For the first week or so that actually seemed like it was going to happen. He had even gone so far as done a little reach out to the Opposition parties. He seemed to indicate that this session would be focussed on the economy. He’d even reportedly indicated to his MPs that they needed to tone down the idealogy and partisanship in the house.

Marching orders given, he goes off to Peru and a meeting of the G20 to continue discussions about the state of the world economy. There he spouts off about how he was surprised at the speed the world economy slid downhill, that simply solutions are not going to work and that some stimulus spending needs to take place even if it means running a deficit. Reading the reports of his comments back here, I did wonder who the Conservatives had sent to Peru, looked like Harper, sure didn’t talk like him.

Then we come to last Thursday and the little guy he calls his Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty (the same one who helped Mike Harris run Ontario into the ground when the Conservatives were in office here) presents an economic update devoid of any mention of economic stimulus but includes cuts, promises of the sale of government assets which would amount to a fire sale in this economy, denial of the civil service’s right to strike for two years, promises of balanced budgets in the coming years, a short recession (yeah right) and to top it off, a piece of pure partisanship assault (reportedly insisted on by Harper) the elimination of political party subsidies.

The Opposition parties for once responded with a unified voice(s) that they would not only oppose the passage of the update, as an economic measure is considered to be a confidence motion, they entered talks to offer a Liberal-NDP coalition to the Governor General as an alternative to going into an election. What an irony, Harper himself held similar talks when he was in opposition to try to bring Martin down.

Harper misjudged this move. He assumed that the Liberals would talk big and then abstain as they had done in the previous parliament thus allowing him to govern as though he had a majority. The Liberals had warned him that this was going to happen in this parliament and he didn’t take them seriously. Ed Broadbent from the NDP and Jean Chretien from the Liberals were both brought in to steer the negotiations. Duceppe from the Bloc was also consulted. The Liberals in the midst of a leadership race is not going to save Harper’s keester on this one.

Harper stalls, he delays any votes that could bring his government down by a week and then sends his troops out with talking points to try to snow the  Canadian public into believing that what the Opposition is doing is undemocratic and only to protect their own financial asses. Some will fall for this but a lot are seeing that the real issue here is the lack of economic stimulus. Way too many Canadians are either hurting or know people close to them who are hurting in this economy.

Harper is so focused on retaining power, he’s blind to the fact — it’s the economy stupid. So over the weekend he withdraws first the subsidy cut and then the denial of the right to strike portions of the statement. Flaherty on Sunday announces that the budget will be brought forward on Jan 27th (a month earlier than expected) and that it will contain economic stimulus. He gave no indication what to expect. In his arrogance, he seems to figure that this will be enough to stop the Opposition.

The announcement might have been enough to move the public to want the Opposition to wait and see rather than chance an election so soon. I don’t think so now. The Conservatives really seem to be bent on shooting themselves in the foot with Harper holding the gun.

Over the weekend, somehow a Conservative got hold of the number to dial into a private conference call the NDP was holding to update their caucus. I’m not real clear if the Conservative really did get mistakenly invited or overheard the number and put it to use. The call was taped yesterday and then today released to the media. The Conservatives tried to claim that was proof that the NDP was plotting to bring down the government even before the Economic Statement was presented.

Let’s get this straight, the Statement was presented on Thursday, seems to me that yesterday and today came AFTER the Statement. Nice try Cons. Anyone with an ounce of integrity would have known that they were the unwanted visitor to that call. IF he/she chose to give into temptation and listen in, taping it without the knowledge and consent of those on the call just was way out of bounds. Releasing the tape to the public, even more so.

Nice going Harper, make the Opposition even more determined and the public more disgusted with your bully boy tactics. The bully in Ottawa seems to have met his match. Will he manage to worm his way into staying in power or will he have hit the wall and now have to retreat with his tail between his legs?

Stay tuned, could be a fun week ahead.

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