Michael Ignatieff: Would It Hurt You To Give A Straight Answer

Posted by Laura Steiner Jun 15, 2009

Recently, Prime Minister Stephen Harper presented his quarterly economic report. It was a rosy picture- Canada is going to recover sometime next year, 80% of the infrastructure money has left federal coffers, and our economy is strong despite the recession. The Bloc and NDP are going to vote against it, but Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff said he'd read it, and let us know what his party would do.

Well he let us know, and it's as clear as mud. He doesn't want an election- well so do the vast majority of us. But, he also wants to fix EI, and answers on what Harper's government plans to do regarding the isotope shortage. He's willing to let the House continue sitting in order to answer these questions. But at the press conference following his announcement, he was asked if his conditions weren't met, would his party vote against the update.

To put it in plain Ignatieff speak: An election if necessary, but not necessarily an election. In other words, for now we're safe from the election ghoul, but he reserves the right to reconsider. Or, I want an election only if somebody else causes one.

He talked in his little speech about standing up for principles... how principled is doublespeak? Why won't he give us a straight answer? It's all Canadians want. Either he wants an election or he doesn't- it's that simple. Either his party is principled enough to offer Canadians an alternative vision of the country in an election, or it's not. It's not rocket science.