The latest Nanos Leadership Index tracking indicates that, among decided voters, the Conservatives still hold a solid nine point lead over the Liberals.
The Liberals had to bide their time and let the damage to the economy take hold and the voters would send this aberration PM Stephen Harper to the dustbin. The Liberals were consistent in NOT offering any solutions in December 2008 to the minority led government by the CPC.Michael Ignatieff had a very bad year. Warren Kinsella believed 2009 was going to be a good year. He predicted the Liberal party would switch places with the CPC as a result of the economic problems and the Liberals would benefit from an improved
communications discipline.
The Liberals were ineffective on the strategy of using the un-elected Liberal dominated Senate in holding up the adoption of Budget. The media began to report the Liberal leader was unwilling to push his caucus of unelected Liberal Senators for delaying the retroactive EI extension included in the budget.
The Liberal leader and his team spent all of 2009 in attack mode and using the Senate to delay and obstruct the will parliament. The Liberal leader and his team were NOT interested in cooperating.
“We have a very, very serious problem with this relationship and I don’t think I’m going to be able to fix it until I become the prime minister.”-Michael Ignatieff
The Role of the Opposition
In Canada, the party with the greatest number of elected representatives that is not the governing party becomes Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. This party takes the lead in holding the Government accountable for its policies and actions. The leader of this party becomes the leader of the Official Opposition, sitting directly across from the Prime Minister. The duty of the Official Opposition and other opposition parties is to “challenge” government policies and suggest improvements, and present an alternative to the current Government’s policy agenda.Opposition members have various opportunities to influence the formulation of laws and policies, including the daily Question Period in the House of Commons. The Opposition is allocated 20 “Opposition Days” or “Supply Days” each calendar year when it can propose a motion for debate and criticize the Government on issues of broad national policy. Members of opposition parties also serve on parliamentary committees in both the Senate and the House of Commons.
In the Senate, the Opposition often plays a less partisan role. The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate leads the Opposition in debate, coordinates its daily activities and confers with the Leader of the Government in the Senate on its business. The Leader of the Opposition, like the Leader of the Government, is an ex officio member of all standing committees and helps coordinate party strategy.
Rumours of a prorogue may extend the vacation by 4-6 weeks. The Coaltion may have concluded the suspension of committees and loss of control in the Senate may force the Coalition's to act in the open again.
The CPC led government requires ten votes in their March 2009 budget. Will we have floor crossing or a repeat of MP from the Liberals, NDP who break ranks from their leaders as they did with the LGR vote?
Liberal Loyalty? (oxymoron)
First, the Liberal Party of Canada is solidly united behind the leader Michael Ignatieff, just as it was united behind Stéphane Dion, Paul Martin, Jean Chrétien, John Turner, and Bob Rae. I know, Rae has nothing to do with it, but let's give him some latitude. -Angelo Perischilli
Michael Ignatieff will use the next few months to plan his Farewell University Tour 2010 and Thinkers 150 Conference. It will be an opportunity to get some rest and networking for his next career outside politics.
Bob Rae will not tolerate much more of Amateur Hour at the LPOC.
Nelson Wiseman chirps in to explain how the Government outwitted the Coaltion again. Liberals are ungrateful as the PM gives them an extra month to find a replacement leader for their party.http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/player.html?clipid=1373034349
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