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

Tea leaves

by Aaron Wherry on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 1:27am - 22 Comments

Canadian Press tries to figure out whether there’ll be a meeting tomorrow morning, or merely a phone call. Or perhaps an exchange of text messages. Or Facebook status updates.

Representatives for Harper and Ignatieff issued almost identically worded, brief statements saying that the two leaders agreed to “talk” or “speak” again Wednesday morning. The choice of wording suggests the pair do not feel it necessary to meet again in person. That in turn suggests they require only a last-minute chat to verify details before reporting to their respective caucuses, which hold regular weekly meetings every Wednesday morning.

Tags: Michael Ignatieff, Stephen Harper

More by Aaron Wherry

http://intensedebate.com/people/Crit_Reasoning Crit_Reasoning

It's all very scripted, isn't it. That's a good thing. It means that there will be no summer election, despite the feverish hopes of many Liberals, who have suddenly become rather skeptical of Iggy's scripted coronation.
http://www.intensedebate.com/people/Crit_Reasoning Crit_Reasoning

It's all very scripted, isn't it. That's a good thing. It means that there will be no summer election, despite the feverish hopes of many sincere Liberals, who have suddenly become rather skeptical of Iggy's scripted coronation.

CanadianInDC

Provide a list of sincere Liberals, because I count myself as such, and have no problem with this. I think Ignatieff comes out looking like the peacemaker here, but time will ultimately tell.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Crit_Reasoning Crit_Reasoning

I didn't say that all sincere Liberals wanted an election; I said that many did. There's a difference. And it's undeniably true that many Liberals were hoping for a summer election. Just ask Mulletaur, Ted and ARX.
http://intensedebate.com/people/somethoughts somethoughts

So do I and Ignatieff is starting to look like as big a disappointment as Dion was. He comes out looking weak. He made vague demands and got nothing. Jack Layton and the NDP can now credibly claim to be the only real national opposition to the Conservatives. Ignatieff starts coming accross as Harper lite. I am starting to think that maybe the attack ads are right and he spent way to much time in the USA. He seems to think that a bipartisan approach can be made to work in a parliamentary system based on the adversarial principle.
http://www.intensedebate.com/people/somethoughts somethoughts

So am I and Ignatieff is starting to look like as big a disappointment as Dion was. He comes out looking weak. He made vague demands and got nothing. Jack Layton and the NDP can now credibly claim to be the only real national opposition to the Conservatives. Ignatieff starts coming accross as Harper lite. I am starting to think that maybe the attack ads are right and he spent way to much time in the USA. He seems to think that a bipartisan approach can be made to work in a parliamentary system based on the adversarial principle.

Anon

Either that, or they have failed to agree on the core issue of EI reforms, and we're off to elections. It's difficult to see how either "leader" can back down on that key point.
http://intensedebate.com/people/JustinWordswrth JustinWordswrth

Apparently the movie was called One Week because test audiences said that's what it felt like.
http://www.intensedebate.com/people/JustinWordswrth JustinWordswrth

This country doesn't need a new election, it needs new electors.
http://www.intensedebate.com/people/JustinWordswrth JustinWordswrth

This country doesn't need a new election, it needs new electors.
Stephen

No question there is some type of agreement. The question is can it be sold to the respective MP's? I suspect Iggy has the bigger problem, but lets see if he can pull it off.
http://intensedebate.com/people/SamDavies SamDavies

Would love to hear creative fictional reconstructions of this meeting.

Myself, I can see the doors closing, followed by an energetic high five between the two.
They then lounge around wearing nothing but their "tighty whitey's", smoking cigars and drinking imported beer.
They jokingly discuss their favourite TV shows, noting just how whacked "Lost" has become.
After an hour, the suits are back on, and back to some serious business….

CanadianInDC

Your imagination is pretty damn disturbing.
Wotcher?

That "tighty whitey's" image is going to be real hard to expunge. Thanks a lot.

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

It came from memories of "Bloom County".
What was the name of their all Mens club, where they hung around in their underwear, doing whatever they want?
I really loved 80's style Berkeley Breathed!
Great social commentary, mixed with loads of silliness….

Michael

Ignatieff said he's read it and give a straight up and down Monday and then said he needed some answers and had the whole summer to get them. He is long past the point where he can take an offer to caucus and have it rejected. If he's planning to walk he sure forgot to tell his media handlers.
http://intensedebate.com/people/M_A_N M_A_N

What's the matter, has everyone forgotten what it looks like when a parliamentary minority actually functions? It may not be news, but it appears to be, ( excuse me while I take a gravol)…Good Government.

Wow, that was hard to write.

http://intensedebate.com/people/JustinWordswrth JustinWordswrth

A functioning government is not the same thing as a good government.

Personally, I think that the strength of democratic government is its ineffectiveness.

Dee

What exactly are you smokin', dude?
http://intensedebate.com/people/SamDavies SamDavies

I'll bite.
Explain????

http://intensedebate.com/people/JustinWordswrth JustinWordswrth

Let's use an example of an undemocratic government – the City Council of Toronto. Now, I know, Toronto City Council is technically democratic, but I was just reviewing that statistics from the last election (2006). 97% of incumbents won their ridings, that is 36 of 37, all but one.

In these elections, candidates do not typically run under a party banner, which makes it difficult for voters to know what the candidates are all about, so they vote for the one they know.

Toronto City Council is not a parliament, and the candidates do not obtain much political advantage if they oppose anything. The result is that the entire council votes through one spending measure after another, usually with just Case Ootes and Rob Ford objecting.

I watch City Council, and the only time I ever hear protestation, it is directed at a member for taking up time to suggest that an assessment be made before a spending measure is voted on. That is to say, the other members just want to move on as quickly as possible with spending money.

Now, what I am really complaining about here is a lack opposing viewpoints and philosophies. Democracies, of course, do guarantee opposing views, but no democracy does guarantee no opposing views.

Canadian Parliament, a slightly more democratic body, has decided to stimulate the economy out of recession (bad policy). However, because it is composed of competing parties each trying to prove the others incompetent, most of the money doesn't get out the door.

http://www.intensedebate.com/people/JustinWordswrth JustinWordswrth

This country doesn't need an election, it needs electors.

For Canadian politics to generate any less interest, it would have to be an investment in GM.