If Ignatieff had lived up to his signature and supported the NDP-LPC Coalition agreement earlier this year, we would now have a minority government headed by the Coalition, supported by the Bloc for 18 months through its agreement not to vote against the Coalition on confidence matters, and busily implementing a realistic, timely stimulus program and an enhanced, fairer EI program.
Instead we have Harper's Tories dragging their heels, resisting changes to a fairer EI system, lying about opposition programs, and relying on dissension among the three opposition parties to give it time (18 months will do) to weather the recession and restore their fortunes.
And meanwhile chipping away at Ignatieff's qualifications as a possible prime minister, and doing very nicely at that, as the latest poll shows:
"The latest survey, conducted for Canwest News Service and Global National, shows the Harper Conservatives have edged up two percentage points in recent weeks, to capture a slim lead with 35 per cent support.
The Liberals, while significantly ahead of their showing under former leader Stephane Dion, have dropped three points to 33 per cent support of decided voters.
Ontario is responsible for the slight reversal of fortunes for the two lead parties, according to the telephone poll of 1,000 adults, conducted May 20-24 by Ipsos Reid.
Pollster Darrell Bricker attributed the Conservative climb in Canada's most populous province --where the party captured 39 per cent support to the Liberals' 37 per cent -- to a slightly improving economy.
The NDP garnered 14 per cent of support among decided voters nationally.
The Green party and Bloc Québécois held steady at eight and nine per cent respectively."
Note the significant conclusion in the quote above of the pollster: the Tories are up in Ontario due to a "slightly improving economy."
There you have Harper's game plan: stall for time, call the Liberals' bluff, and wait for the recession to fade, then choose a time to go to the voters, claiming to have managed the country successfully through a recession, by steady supervision from a decisive, seasoned 'born and lived in Canada' leader.
And all the time chipping away at Ignatieff with a steady stream of framing ads.
Not a pretty sight, but a possibility nonetheless.
What a pity the Liberal caucus joined Ignatieff in turning its back on a Coalition government.
