Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Oh Look, It Was A "One Off" After All

From precedent setting marshmellow man to iron fisted tyrant in a matter of hours. So nimble:
Michael Ignatieff allowed his Newfoundland MPs to register a symbolic protest against the federal budget but he's insisting they now support legislation that will actually implement the measures they find so offensive.

Having cast their protest vote Tuesday, a spokesperson confirmed that Ignatieff now expects the Newfoundland MPs to support the budget on all subsequent votes, including the budget implementation bill.

Moreover, he's told the MPs they can't attempt to amend the bill, which is to be introduced this week.

Setting the record straight:
Moreover, sources said Ignatieff warned caucus he doesn't intend to relax discipline again in future.

"He said it was a one-time thing, alone, period, full stop, and for us not to get our hopes up too high because it would not happen again," said one caucus member.

My prediction, Williams plays it RELATIVELY cool and calls it a day in the end. The MP's never thought the budget wouldn't pass, so there's little reason to push further, point made, now it's time to join ranks.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

How come everyone is just FREAKING OUT over this? I think this whole situation shows just how much the other parties think Ignatieff is a threat to them that they're willing to make a HUGE issue out of it.

But what about the Globe and Mail? I mean, WTF is up with that paper? I was looking at it online today and counted at least FIVE separate articles and opinion pieces about how Ignatieff was screwing up, plus ONE the day before. I mean, talk about OVERKILL.

burlivespipe said...

Exactly. Ignatieff is distancing himself already from the pack of playground brawlers by establishing his own sense of decorum, his own sense of partisanship and even a degree of chivalry that harkens back to Disraeli.
That the Globe seems to feel it needs to sniff at Flanagan's butt every day and use him as a divining rod is incredulous. They've set the land-speed record for fawning to tasering a leader -- and yet they still can't call Harper on his 'grand vision' that isn't. Who's running this country?

Oemissions said...

I voted for my MP, not the Party.
If my MP votes for /against something because the Party leader decrees she/he has to I don't vote for that person next time round.

susansmith said...

It's the kind of "strong leader" that is of the past. It was all show anyways, and thus so tokenish it is now laughable.
Playing Williams as a fool will have paybacks. Too bad Harper broke a signed contractual equalization agreement with NFL, and also now PEI is miffed. I guess putting name on documents has no contractual obligations or one word is "slippery." It means their word is cheap.

Anthony said...

The Gazette railed against Ignatieff today and claiming Danny Williams has more power in Ottawa than Jean Charest.

At the end of the day, when the Liberal Party is ready for an election, the progress reports will show something the Liberals dont like and we will head to another election.

The only people who will remember this episode are the people in NFLD.