THE WHOLE "QUEBEC AS NATION" BUSINESS

Well today was a big day in the House of Commons as Prime Minister Stephen Harper tabled a motion recognizing Quebec as a nation in a united Canada

Part of the reason they're doing this is to put the boots to a Bloc Quebecois motion to that effect, while emphasizing Quebec belonged in an independent Canada, not an independent Quebec. No doubt Harper wants a much-needed boost his own poll numbers in Quebec and something like this is bound to help. Also he was to make the Liberals look like fools, tearing themselves apart over this issue. This issue threatens to boil over at the Liberal convention next week and could boil over in Parliament as well.

I'm sure part of this is strategy. The one thing I've learned about Harper in the last year or so is that he's a bloody-minded, ruthless political operator and strategist. He knows what direction he's going and he's very deliberate about how to get there. The grand plan is to win in Quebec and it seems obvious that what this is is part of the great scheme of things, no question about it.

It could also get this government booted. I could see the government losing a vote of confidence on an issue like this, with the Bloc and the Liberals and the NDP ganging up against the Conservatives for widely differing reasons. I really think Harper looks like a guy spoiling for a fight right now. Yet it was funny because these opposition parties responded today by practically singing Kumbaya. I really think Harper looks like a guy spoiling for a fight right now, yet these opposition parties won't fight. He has them over a barrel right now.

Forget these polls that have the parties tied. The Conservatives in Ottawa look confident--- perhaps too confident. Maybe they know something everyone else doesn't know.

But I'll tell you, what happened in the Commons today was exciting stuff. This is the most exciting stuff we've seen in the Commons since, well, last year when the government fell. This sure beats all that boring Congressional stuff shown on C-SPAN. Our House has their House all beat.

MORE ON THE KENNEDY- DION TALKS

I also read yet another story in the Toronto Star about how Gerard Kennedy and Stephane Dion are talking again- or at least their camps are talking. Keep an eye on this potential gangup that could launch one of these two into the second-place spot at the convention, which would set up a last-ballot runoff with Michael Ignatieff and boot out Bob Rae.

Isn't this awful, though--- a Liberal leadership race decided in backrooms by political hacks instead of directly by the voting membership? The one thing I will say about the leadership votes that the Conservatives had--- these ones where the members had a direct vote--- was that we never got this dealmaking stuff going on with bosses deciding races. But it sure looks like that may be what happens in Montreal. Such is democracy in Canada.

Thank heavens these delegated conventions are on their last legs.
// posted by John Cairns @ 8:33 PM 0 comments