Inkless Wells

Paul Wells on all the latest out of Ottawa—along with the occasional post about jazz. Follow Paul on Twitter: @InklessPW

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And how's that coming along?

by Paul Wells on Monday, July 13, 2009 1:33pm - 107 Comments

Sometime this summer or fall, Ignatieff said he also intends to hold a “thinkers’ conference” that will address some of the “big long-term questions” facing the country over the next 25 years, going well beyond the more immediate scope of the campaign platform.

— The Canadian Press, eight weeks ago

Tags: long-term questions, Michael Ignatieff, short-term memory

More by Paul Wells

http://intensedebate.com/people/SirJohn_Eh SirJohn_Eh

While Ignatieff is definitely not the type of leader we are used to – he seems far better than Harper has proven to be. Namely he seems honest. Obviously there is an element of opportunism in his coming here, but what succesful party leader in the world doesnt have a strong sense of opportunism. Dion certainly didnt have that trait, and where is he now. Harper has taken opportunism to the extreme. Iggy obviously wanted leadership when he came here – but the difference being he wont cling to it at all costs a la Harper and treat the electorate like fools that are in the way of a good dictatorship.
http://www.intensedebate.com/people/M_to_the_T M_to_the_T

I'm actually thinking (hehe) of attempting to hold a press conference on an issue rather closely related to this.
dede

It will never happen if there is a risk that a consensus emerges that taxes have to increased or southern Ontario's population will have to relocate with the collapse of industrial Canada or that Quebec doesn't hold up to cost benefit analysis. You can't have a free exchange of ideas and exclude those that are difficult to accept or would prove a liability in an election
Jim

Jeff Simpson's got a decent piece of political commentary up over at the Globe. Something about how our prime minister literally doesn't believe that taxes can be used for any public good.

But keep on keepin' on with the Iggy rants – because this issue is, like, real wonky and stuff.

Orson Bean

Simpson's article is a simplistic piece of twaddle. Harper said something rather stupid, and Simpson has a histrionic fit of the vapours about it.

Jim

Whereas Ignatieff's committed to holding a conference in the near future, and that's worth a bevy of snark from a so-called national affairs columnist. Right. Totally see it now.

http://demosthenes.blogspot.com Demosthenes

Well, see, there’s a problem with having a “thinker’s conference”.

That problem is that any sort of real “thought” is going to position the party. Left, right, center, whatever. It’ll be about the party’s governing philosophy. Naturally, that’s going to make some people unhappy.

So why “think” when you can just sit there, clam up, and be all things to all people? After all, it’s just about getting the big chair. Never mind what you do with it. That sort of thing’s for dippers.