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

'We think there's lots of work to do even if the government doesn't'

by Aaron Wherry on Tuesday, January 5, 2010 11:21pm - 56 Comments

Liberal MPs are expected to be in Ottawa on January 25.

Tags: house of commons, Michael Ignatieff, Ottawa, Parliament, prorogation, Prorogue

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Out There

If – as seems likely – Harper has prorogued Parliament to avoid facing tough questions on the Afghan detainee issue, it is the opposition's responsibility to ensure that these questions are answered when Parliament resumes.

If they do not assume this responsibility, Parliament becomes a hollow shell.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Mike514 Mike514

" ‘We think there’s lots of work to do even if the government doesn’t’…to show Liberal MPs and senators busy constructively addressing the issues that matter most to Canadians."

This is probably the best line of attack: Show the Tories as unwilling to return to work, while the opposition works.

But is it effective? Harper's been working all week, John Baird announced new airport scanners yesterday, and I heard Jean-Pierre Blackburn on the radio yesterday. Meanwhile, ironically, Ignatieff is still away on vacation.

I doubt the Tories will be sitting down for the next two months, waiting for parliament to resume. I imagine they will be very active. The suggestion that the Tories won't be doing any work until March might not sell as well as the Liberals expect.

(And anyone else wonder what this does to Ignatieff's university tour? Has it been cancelled?)
http://intensedebate.com/people/WDM WDM

Interesting that the usual suspects are essentially ignoring the issue at hand to take some more pot shots at Ignatieff. Anyways, if the Liberals do avoid the gimmicky stuff, this does have the potential to be a pretty good story for them.
jarrid

"Rather, they'll do things like hold roundtable discussions with experts on a variety of issues in a bid to show Liberal MPs and senators busy constructively addressing the issues that matter most to Canadians.

Liberal Party of Canada press release? Close, but no cigar: Toronto Star journalist's report.

Kibitzing "with experts on a variety of issues".

At least they'll look busy.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Mike514 Mike514

I fear that it's already become gimmicky. I expect to see both parties (Libs and Tories) fight for news coverage, in an effort to make it look like they're working hard.

The suggestion from the Liberals is that the Tories want an extended vacation, to essentially do nothing.

To not appear hypocritical, the Liberals will work hard to… appear to work hard. And the Tories will fight back by working hard to… appear to be working hard, to counter the Liberals' attack.

The past few days alone, Harper, Baird and Blackburn have been in the news. Expect many other government announcements, even trivial ones, just to give the impression the Tories are working. Ditto with the Liberals – lots of round table discussions, cross-country campus tours, criticising, etc etc… all in an effort to dispel the "just vacationing" theme.

Or maybe I'm just disillusioned, and the Tories and Libs genuinely want to work hard?
http://intensedebate.com/people/zamprelli4731 Zamprelli

Finally, the right answer to this Harper nonsense. Would have been better, though, to say this as soon as prorogation rumors began in mid-December.
http://intensedebate.com/people/jolyon jolyon

" Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff informed his caucus during a conference call Tuesday that he expects them to report for work on Jan 25 ……. "We think there's lots of work to do even if the government doesn't," said one Liberal involved in the call."

I wish Bryden would have taken a moment to explain why they were on a conference call, Canadian democracy is burning but Iggy's still in Europe!, but I am not convinced this stunt will do much good.

By the time Lib MPs report back to work, they have had a 6/7 week (???) vacation already, so I am not convinced that Lib message will be all that great – We deserve six week vacations after we have worked a month or two but 10 week vacations are outrageous!

MPs are worse than teachers now for how much time off they need because they are supposedly working so hard. And Iggy wintering in Europe, while Harper is currently in Canada working, is not how you want to set up your 'there is work to do' message but Libs know they can rely on msm to carry their water.
kcm

No reason why he can't do both…i'm just happy[?] to see Ignatieff working…the man has an amazing facility for looking lazy and elitist, even when he doesn't intend it.
tobyornotoby

“We think there’s lots of work to do even if the government doesn’t”

This kind of messaging actually contributes to the debasement of the role of MPs and the purpose of parliament. The problem isn’t that the Harper Government is trying to take a holiday from governing, the problem is that they are trying to take a vacation from accountability (or at least the last vestiges of it).
I don’t know if the problem is that Liberals think we’re too dumb to get that, or that they have, in dumbing down the message for so long, become that dumb themselves.

Anon Liberal

They're following Wells advice to keep the messaging stupid enough that ordinary, non-jazz loving Canadians can follow.
Scott Belyea

tobyornotoby · 35 minutes ago
"We think there's lots of work to do even if the government doesn't"

This kind of messaging actually contributes to the debasement of the role of MPs and the purpose of parliament. The problem isn't that the Harper Government is trying to take a holiday from governing, the problem is that they are trying to take a vacation from accountability …,
===============================================

Exactly, and a point that isn't made often enough.

Another point often missed is that without prorogration, Parliament would have been recessed until January 25th, with the dates having been agreed upon by all parties.

" …don't know if the problem is that Liberals think we're too dumb to get that, or that they have, in dumbing down the message for so long, become that dumb themselves."

Don't let the Conservatives off the hook here. Their talking points about the reasons for prorogation were every bit as much an insult to my intelligence.
Anon Liberal

They're following Wells' advice to keep it stupid for the dumb non-jazz loving commoners.

kcm

Agreed Harper and Layton pissing off on vacation almost before the floors swept sends a real mixed message…democracy is n crisis…could you please send the sunblock[ is iggy somewhere hot]?

Lay off the teachers. You've obviously never worked as one. I'm married to one, good teachers work their asses off…9 out of 10 people i know couldn't keep up the pace or stress of working in any school…it's one of the oldest and most unfair myths out there. And i know. I sub from tme to time…not even half the work and it's often exhausting. If they didn't get decent time off the burn out rate would soar…fact!
Wascally Wabbit

I'm beginning to think that the Opposition parties couldn't organize a p*ss-up in a brewery!
The anti-proroguing rallies (which I consider to be an effete howling at Harper's virtual moon) are being planned for January 23rd. The Opposition members will be back in Ottawa Janbuary 25th.
I just hope someone points out to them the chance for getting these folks organized – since they are taking the trouble to come out and protest.
It would be even better if ALL those Opposition leaders stood with the protesters and said – we hear you – and we are going to stand together in something called an Umbrella party – or Coalition or whatever – to beat Mr. Harper and his machinations – once and for all!
But right now – I'm not holding my breath!
http://intensedebate.com/people/Criacow Criacow

It's an ugly catch-22 for the Liberals, honestly. If all three opposition parties don't show up, they don't even have a majority of MPs (which doesn't make a difference either way, except in terms of public perception); if they all do show up, it looks like we're back to the 2008 coalition, which I think it's pretty clear nobody really wants.

I think it is, in theory, a good move, although it'll be difficult to portray the Liberals as "working hard" and not being gimmicky or, worse, coalition-y.

Ignatieff will be at UBC next Friday–one of the only outposts of Liberal strength in Vancouver (Vancouver-Quadra and Vancouver-South)–so I look forward to hearing what he has to say about all this…
http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

So.. why DID he prorogue then, john g?
http://intensedebate.com/people/LynnTO LynnTO

I liked it better when Iggy et al were circling the country looking for policy ideas and speaking with ordinary Canadians (whatever constitutes ordinary, these days…)

Now, the Liberals have painted themselves into the political corner that is Ottawa, and the Tories have an opportunity to say "look, while those fools were in Ottawa holding kangaroo courts, we were actually out here listening to you."

Way to play into their hands, Iggy.
http://intensedebate.com/people/jolyon jolyon

I was a teacher for four years so the only 'obvious' thing about my comment is my contempt for teachers who think they work hard. The poor dears, working 9-3, four days a week for 9 months of the year must be killer. However do they manage?

"9 out of 10 people i know couldn't keep up the pace or stress of working in any school"

You must know some pretty idle people if they can't keep up with 'pace or stress' of working in a school. Why do union people always think they work really hard when, in fact, they are the most coddled group of workers known to man.
Katherine

Yes! Good for them!
sbt

The main problem for the Liberals is that it is pretty easy for the government to look like they are actually working while, without parliament open, it is pretty hard for the opposition to look the same. It's another battle the Liberals are destined to lose.
http://intensedebate.com/people/john_g2708 john g

Why does this seem likely to you? He's been facing these questions for weeks. It's made not a single dent in his armour despite a full court media press on the topic, and it's not going to; nobody cares. Even though the topic has completely dominated media coverage, didn't a poll indicate that almost 50% of people had never even heard of the issue?

Why would he prorogue to escape questioning that is basically the opposition and media on their own pet wild goose chase that nobody cares about? If I were Harper, I'd be absolutely thrilled that the opposition and media are focusing so much time and energy on a topic that has pretty much zero potential to cause any lasting political damage.