The past session of Parliament saw the Liberal Party give a lot of air time to two MPs that Canadians previously had not had much exposure to, Mark Holland and Shiboam Coady; two MPs who play the role of angry politician very effortlessly. I don't know if the LPC actually selected these two at the beginning of the session to become their main spokespeople, or if they just lucked into having critic roles of the portfolios that created controversies. They could be rising "stars"; they could just have been in the right critic chair, in the right place at the right time. Public safety critic and ethics critic are two excellent positions for opposition members who do angry well.
Whatever you think of John Baird, every political party needs a few MPs of that ilk to survive in the pressure cooker, especially with 24 hour instant media. The kind of MP who walks into Parliament and thinks of Robert Duval in Apocalypse Now "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." You may recall when Coady snapped at Baird in committee, the left applauded the brave MP standing up to the "Big Bad Baird", but look into her eyes when she unleashed the fury. That lady has a nasty, nasty temper. I'd say she got more face time on the CBC the session than Ujjal Dosangh and Scotty Bryson combined.
It is not my intention to insult John Baird by comparing him to Holland and Coady, but they are just Liberal versions of him. They serve the same function within the Liberal Party as John Baird did when he was in opposition (provincially). The main difference being that since the Tories formed government (federally) we have found that Mr. Baird is also a very effective Cabinet Minister, so he has a bureaucratic competency that I suspect is lacking in the Liberal attack dogs.
These two Liberal shooting stars are both at big risk of crashing down to Earth in the next election. Holland has a very tough fight ahead of him in Chris Alexander, and Coady has the NDP right over her shoulder. I'm sure she would love to see a deal where the NDP candidate capitulates. Newfoundland will be really tough to predict next time around, as Danny Williams ABC campaign skewed the data in 2008. Did you hear that Don Newman, Ms Coady is a perfect example of how the Liberals can benefit from a strategic non-compete agreement with the NDP.
A key difference is J.B. present logical factual information in the form of answers.
ReplyDeleteThe other two just attack and rarely make a logical argument.
There is nothing wrong with being critical or opposing a view or policy, but to skip the vote and let it pass on a regular basis.
Crying about the strategy and tricks used in committee than resort to them to protect or block legislation: hypocrite.
I could go on but Holland is a cartoon character who is only willing to fight and turn tail when his boss whistles.
What are the Liberals fighting for, what lines in the sand did they prevent the minority government led by Harper?
The Liberals are terrified of an election, they got a thumping in Fall 2009 for the Time is UP declaration.
Since than they have refused to have any adult conversation. Just more political games and smears.
The Liberals have not been an effective opposition because they won't stand on anything they hold dear and risk a visit to the polls.
Ms Coady is a typical Newfoundland lady, you shouldn't argue with her when she's drinking.
ReplyDeleteHolland is the only Liberal member in Durham Region, which is reflective of demographics in his riding that are significantly different than the rest of the region (i.e.: it's more like Scarborough than the rest of Durham - read into that what you will). Unfortunately, regardless of the calibre of the competition, he may NOT have that tough a fight on his hands. He's spent years at the teat municipally and now federally, without ever holding a real job.
ReplyDelete'Did you hear that Don Newman, Ms Coady is a perfect example of how the Liberals can benefit from a strategic non-compete agreement with the NDP.'
ReplyDeleteI guess Newman has not gotten the picture yet or refuse to accept the fact that his liberal party which he had defended throughout the years have sold their souls to the NDP, to be played around with to the NDP hearts content.
I think it's Chris, not Stephen, Alexander.
ReplyDeleteThanks jad, it is Chris. I screw up names quite a lot, often purposefully. Stephen Alexander is the former pro bowl tight end with the Washington Red Skins, but I still think he could take Mark Holland...
ReplyDeleteJohn Baird was never a member of the opposition on the federal scene
ReplyDeleteI never said that he was. I do remember him being a significant voice in the Ontario opposition after Mike Harris and Ernie Eaves withered.
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