Layton and Harper plucking Liberal goose

[CHIMO]

The inaugural Conservative Speech from the Throne was uncommonly short and particularly sweet for the NDP. The combination of both features makes it a remarkable political document.

It would be tempting to dismiss Tuesday's throne speech as a text reduced to its modest size merely by the equally modest political circumstances of the government.

But it is more than that because it provides Canadians with their first real glimpse of a less interventionist federal government.

The opening of Parliament this week coincided with the opening moves of the debate on a united left. As their leadership campaign gets underway, it is a conversation the Liberals will be joining with a vengeance over the next few weeks.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1144360211315&call_pageid=970599109774&col=Columnist969907622983

Well. Bye bye Layton.

[MrPrax]

1. Skillful copy and paste...

You make it seem as if it was all together, when the last paragraph of your posting is the LAST paragraph in the essay.

Hebert's rather meagre column doesn't really have anything about a 'debate on a united left' and merely makes the points that; a) the throne speech was short, sweet and strictly federal, b) BQ and NDP support is needed by the Tories and this strange observation:

"One of the biggest fears of New Democrats is that their party will be impotent in the face of a Conservative government.

If the NDP is to prevent a stampede of its supporters to the Liberals in the next election, if it is to eat away at Liberal support instead, it desperately needs to show results for its presence in the current minority Parliament."

(BTW--these two paragraphs DO actually appear together in the original format ;-)

The strange part is that Hebert provides NO real evidence or even basis for any of these observations? Why would New Dems go charging over to the Liberals?

The fact the Liberals have NO leader and Layton will be chewing the scenery on the 'center left' perspective in Parliament, one could reasonably conclude that it might be Liberals may stampede depending on who their new leader is and whether the contest was fair. Stronach already, rather disingeniously I should add, pissed on the leadership contest and so far the field is a little thin.

With so many unknowns, it is strange that Hebert can foresee the future so clearly.