Fascinating...

Now that Michael Ignatieff will likely be the next Liberal leader, it's good to learn a bit more about him besides the random snippets of fact found in the media. I thought I would share this exceptionally well-written article about Michael Ignatieff in the Globe and Mail. Am I a fan of him? Not really. But his story is definitely interesting.

A plague on all your houses!

I've been watching the developments in Ottawa closely for the past few days, and like many others, I've been thoroughly disgusted by the conduct of Canada's Parliamentarians. Instead of putting the good of the country ahead of their political ambitions, the Conservatives, NDP and Liberals are locked in a short-sighted death match for power. At the end of all this, it'll probably end poorly for everyone involved. Why?

First of all, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been continually demonizing the separatist Bloc Quebecois. While I have no sympathy for the Bloc, he has effectively employed a scorched-earth policy and burned his bridges in Quebec. This has destroyed whatever goodwill he worked hard to attain in the past few years. This has strengthened the Bloc and has effectively removed the Conservatives as the federalist option in Quebec.

Secondly, the Liberals and NDPs are playing with fire by taking power from the western-backed Conservatives. Preston Manning's battle cry 20 years ago was "the west wants in". However, if the Liberals and NDP take power, it would be symbolic of kicking the west out. They would destroy what little inroads they've made with the western provinces in the past few decades. There hasn't been a Liberal MP in most of Alberta in a generation, and this action will guarantee that this would continue for yet another generation.

Thirdly, both the Conservatives and the "Unholy Alliance Party of Canada" both lack credible leadership. Stephen Harper's conduct has damaged his credibility as a leader who can bring cooperation and consensus in Parliament. Both are essential qualities required in a minority government but his character and his recent actions were far too toxic. Stephan Dion is no better. He has been overwhelmingly rejected by the electorate and is not fit to lead. Both of them are a liability to the country in their current positions, and will not be able to lead their respective parties in the next Parliamentary session.

IMO, the only way we can get out of this mess is to find strong leadership. We need to get out of this string of successive minority governments. The Conservatives need to ditch Harper, and the Liberals need to replace Dion - fast. Once we get those two out of the way, we'll need to find someone who can bring consensus and reconciliation. And most importantly, they should concentrate with the bigger task at hand - the economy.