"That home heating fuel idea is an extraordinarily expensive, and I think when opposition parties come up with ideas they should cost them, and be open and frank with the Canadian people in terms of what it means for taxation, what it means in terms of deficits when they come up with these ideas. If they want help costing them, I'm happy to get the Finance Department to cost them, because when I look at their ideas the first thing I do is say is what would this cost."
The emphasis on EXTRAORDINARILY expensive was striking, and I don't see any other way to read Flaherty, other than a complete rejection of the core NDP demand. If the government are balking at Layton's favourite new talking point, it surely doesn't bode well for any deal. A hard swallow on corporate taxes almost defies pure philosophical logic, but the added rebuff on federal tax on home heating is to the point of insulting.
A key thing to look for moving forward, if Layton continues to put home heating relief on the top of his agenda or if the "demand" falls off the rhetoric radar. If we do see Layton stop mentioning home heating costs, we can assume the NDP are willing to do almost anything to avoid an election... Otherwise, given Flaherty's comments, this rejection should be about the last straw from the NDP perspective and an election looks unavoidable. Stay tuned...
11 comments:
That's a relief. My biggest fear was that Flaherty would actually acquiesce to all or most of the NDP's demands - such as remove the GST from home heating - and that would make it look like the NDP was "bargaining in bad faith" when they vote down the budget regardless. This way, its the Tories who refuse to compromise. That's the story line i like to see. I can't wait for the budget vote - when we get to get into an exciting election campaign!
The sad part, I think you actually believe anyone buys it. Seriously.
Buys what, that the NDP expects an election this spring? You don't need to be a rocket scientist to believe that.
It doesn't matter what Flaherty thinks. If Harper wants a deal, Flaherty will say it is the greatest idea ever.
Every day seems to bring another issue where the cons are out of step with the public. Huge tax breaks for the oil and financial giants, tax hikes for the rest of us, the first salvo in the privatization of the CPP even though polling shows that 76% want CPP expanded and 51% opposed to their private pooling system.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/majority-backs-expanding-canada-pension-plan-poll-finds/article1890454/
And now we get a refusal to help seniors and the working poor with their heating bills all the while gifting the oil industry that is gouging all of us with billions of our tax dollars through direct subsidies and tax breaks.
Should we indeed get an election call,it would be an interesting one with for the first time in a while issues that appear to be engaging voters.
Taliban Jack is rapidly morphing into Layton the Eunuch.
Kev
It certainly looks like the Cons wil be on the defensive come the campaign. A far cry from the last election. I also think they have virtually no politically capital left on attack ads, so that may handicap them as well.
Steve V , We know they can play offense, lets see if the can plat defense as well.
One other vulnerability that I see for the cons is that their fiscal conservative base surely must be disillusioned and just may stay home this time. Lets hope so anyways
One thing I've noticed, when forced to react and not control events, they fall to pieces almost everytime. No freelancing from these guys.
Kev said... "One other vulnerability that I see for the cons is that their fiscal conservative base surely must be disillusioned and just may stay home this time"
Don't count on that Kev, they've comforted themselves in the idea that Harper only went along with the EAP to stop the coalition, and that he'll become a real fiscal conservative again one he's got a majority.
It's complete bullshit of course, since Harper put us in a structural deficit before the recession even took place. But they'll conveniently forget that part, plus all the unbridled spending and bloated bureaucracy. They'll dutifully go out and mark an X by their CPC candidate every time; because if the Lib's win, they'll be even worse ...don't ya know.
Shorter me - don't count on their share of the vote going below 32%, even if they're on their heels this time around.
Flaherty opens the door on low income seniors, another NDP demand?
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/page-says-aging-weak-productivity-may-frustrate-efforts-20110201-095400-061.html
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