Modeling Journey

Harper and his Conservatives will fight tooth and nail to resist the confidence vote on December 8, and perhaps to avoid the vote entirely by asking the Governor General to prorogue Parliament. Let us assume that the GG accedes to the request, and the House sitting is ended until late January 2009 (it is, of course, in the GG’s discretion whether to agree to the request or not).

During those two months, the desperate Tories will launch a continuous, relentless fight to convince voters that they deserve to remain in power, and to denigrate the Coalition and the Bloc. They have already started that process.

What can the Coalition do to control the agenda, starting today?

Bob Rae is on CBC radio as I write, being pounded by questions about exactly what the Coalition will do, and how this will differ from the Harper government. His answers were very weak: in essence, he begged for time before the Coalition would put concrete proposals on the table in a budget, arguing that the Coalition did not know the exact state of the government’s books. He had no answer to the question that it seemed the Coalition was asking for time before coming up with a program (including time to consult with the US government on assistance to the auto industry), just as the Harper government was doing.

The Coalition will lose the PR war if it continues waffling like this.

The Cat’s suggestions for the Coalition government to act in a decisive manner, and grab control of the agenda:

1. Extend parliament - Announce immediately that the current government will be kept in session for at least the next two weeks after the Coalition becomes the government when the December 8 confidence vote is held. (This puts pressure on Harper to explain why the Tories want to end Parliament and govern the country as a minority government without benefit of input from all the parties in the House.)

2. The Cabinet - Dion should announce within the next two days the Coalition cabinet, and immediately launch a publicity campaign to let the voters get to know these people.

3. Economic Council - Dion should immediately appoint his Council of Economic Advisors, and launch a publicity campaign to let voters get to know these people. The Council should hold its first meeting this week, with Dion’s cabinet in attendance, to scope out what they will do. Dion should announce that the sessions with the Council will be held in public, so that the voters can see the type of advice the Coalition government is getting. Decision sessions will be in camera.

4. Blue Ribbon Panels – Dion should immediately announce his intention to form by middle of January panels of experts and laypeople, drawn from all political views, to give the government advice on how to fight the recession. Senior cabinet ministers should preside over each of the panels.

5. Budget – Dion should immediately announce the major actions which will form part of the first budget of the Coalition government, and give dollar ranges of the stimulus actions, with a promise that they exact amounts will be decided on asap.

6. Legislation – Dion should announce tomorrow what legislation will be tabled in the next two weeks for approval so that Canadians understand that the new government will take concrete, practical steps with a sense of urgency. For example, immediate changes to the Employment Insurance can be passed.

7. Timetable – Dion should release a timetable covering the next 90 days showing what major steps his new government will be undertaking. This will give the impression of urgency and decisiveness, two qualities the Liberal Party are not renowned for lately (remember Mr Dithers?)

These steps will give the Coalition the ability to hit the road running, control the agenda, and restore confidence in Canadians that someone cares about what will happen to them when their jobs and very livelihood is threatened.