The EI Deal: What did Harper Get?

Posted by Laura Steiner Jun 18, 2009

You've got to hand it to Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff this week. On Monday June 15, he handed the Prime Minister a losely-worded ultimatium, demanding he look at reforming EI, and asking for answers on the isotope situation. And on Tuesday June 16, the two adversaries met twice to discuss ideas to reform Employment Insurance. On Wednesday June 17th the pair announced a deal to form a blue-ribbon 'working group' to look at ways of extending some benefits to self-employed workers, and of standardizing the system.

It was a major win for Ignatieff. He gambled on Harper wanting to avoid an election at all costs and got everything he wanted. Three of his MP's (Members of Parliament) are being named to the working group. He asked for and recieved an extra quarterly financial report to Parliament in late September (the week of September 28th), and an opposition day two days later, when it's expected he'll try and bring down the Conservative government.

But What did Harper get? It seems to me, nothing. He got a stay of execution; a chance to ready his troops for what will likely be his fourth consecutive minority victory in the fall. He found a way to keep one of his election promises by trying to find ways to extend EI benefits to the self-employed, but that's about it really.

It seems to me he's starting to come across as a man who doesn't care. He's found some solutions to the economic problems, and is doing a decent job of governing the country. But this week when he was facing the possibility of his second election in under a year, it was like he didn't care about the outcome.

Maybe wants out? Maybe that's what he got from the deal: a way out. He knows in all likelihood on the opposition day in September the Liberals, Bloc and New Democrats are going to bring down the government. Maybe he plans on fighting the election, and when his party wins (my prediction at the moment) its fourth minority he plans on tendering his resignation. Like a General, he wants to pick his battles.

Harper is probably tired of fighting elections that come like clockwork every year or so. He's probably sick of hearing threats of an election every few weeks, and having a metaphorical gun held to his head by Michael Ignatieff. We'll know for certain in the fall.

For more on this please see: Harper-Ignatieff Reach Deal On EI