Beyond The Commons

 Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Bet on Jack

by Aaron Wherry on Monday, June 15, 2009 12:45pm - 10 Comments

Susan Delacourt looks to the NDP leader.

Ignatieff has given Harper a deadline — end of the month, roughly — to do something about employment-insurance reform.  He hasn’t given him anything specific to do — just do something. What he wants is a sign of co-operation from a co-operation-averse PM.  My bet, for what it’s worth, is that if Harper does decide to do some co-operating, he’ll hold out the olive branch to Jack Layton, not to the Liberals.

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  • ARX

    I have a hard time believing that there's any proposal that the Tories could make that would satisfy the NDP, that wouldn't also satisfy the Liberals. Harper might try to deny Ignatieff the prize of having forced the PM to negotiate with him by instead negotiating with the NDP, but the optics would be worse for both, I would think. Tory supporters would have to cringe at the thought of the cost of buying off the socialists, and the NDP can't be pleased at the thought of propping up Harper, even if the MPs would be okay with it (debatable, I'd suggest), the supporters would have to be furious. I think the damage to Layton would be considerable.

  • Simon Sez

    If Ignatieff really cared about co-operation he would have called up the PM himself to try and get something done. But all he really cares about is having an election so he can become Prime Minister.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

      It is up to the Prime Minister to do what is necessary to maintain the confidence of the house. Not the leader of the Opposition, that's why he's in opposition and not Prime Minister

      • Simon Sez

        Ignatieff can vote no-confidence if he wants an election. If Harper wanted one he would just stroll over to Rideau Hall like he did last September.

        • http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

          So, according to you all he really cares about is having an election, but if he wanted an election, he'd simply vote non-confidence, and he isn't doing that.

          Now, I understand being in a perpetual state of self-contradiction is modus operandi for Harper party supporters, but personally, I could use more explanation of which one you really think is happening? Does he really want one, or not?

          • Simon Sez

            When's the vote? What does your crystal ball say will happen?

          • http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

            I dunno what'll happen. I suppose that depends on Mr. Harper now, doesn't it?

  • ARX

    I would disagree, Simon Sez, I think Ignatieff has left several openings for Harper to take to avoid an election. If Ignatieff had wanted to, he could have manoeuvred the Tories into an even more untenable position, but instead he's ready to negotiate. I'm not sure what kind of effort Ignatieff should make, the Tories are the government, Harper is responsible for maintaining the confidence of the House, not Ignatieff. It's on Harper to find support from at least one of the three opposition parties, that's not Ignatieff's responsibility. Ignatieff is speaking only as the Leader of the Opposition, he's presented his terms, now it's on Harper to pick up the phone and hash out a deal, with any of the party leaders. If not, well then at least Ignatieff made the effort, what did Harper do? More to the point, if Harper can't take this opening, what would make you Simon Sez, or even anyone, believe Harper would have been willing to even take Ignatieff's call in the first place?

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/SamDavies SamDavies

    I just can't see any agreement between Layton and Harper.
    The support base of both would be strongly against such a thing.

    I agree with several things the NDP has stood for – I just think Layton's done like dinner.
    Sadly, I've lost respect for Layton, and kinda wish he would step aside.
    He's thrown all his marbles in for the support of the anti-Harperites, but seems to have lost his reason in the process.
    He will go against Harper on everything, and that is just plain stupid.
    He's painted himself into a corner.

  • Simon Sez

    Actually, we already know how the Cons, the NDP and the Bloc are going to be voting. They all told us last week.

    Ignatieff said last week he would be saying thumbs up or thumbs down today.

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