I am not sure why but it has become a pastime of some commenters on Andrew Coyne's blog to bash Paul Wells. I guess 12 months (or more, I've only read his blog this long) of pointing to the inconsistencies of the Prime Minister is not enough. His latest column in Macleans earns him more respect from me and presumably less from the Coyne commenters. Why? Because he takes on all comers.
PM Martin:
...So it shouldn't be surprising to learn that every item in his deathbed deal with Jack Layton was, in the Prime Minister's account, something he had planned to do anyway. "All we did was accelerate our projects," he told La Presse. Not surprising, but still kind of amazing, because it reminds us that everything is something Martin had planned to do someday. Everything on anyone else's list will be denounced as irresponsible until Martin's career depends on it, at which point it will turn out to be . . . easy.
Senate reform? He was going to get around to it. Bigger army? A matter of time. Electoral reform? Sure, if you like. Amend the Constitution? Never say never. Anti-gravity? Have your scientists call his scientists. Magic beans? What a coincidence: he was just about to sell the cow.
Jack!:
...One of the big surprises in the NDP-Liberal deal is how little of it amounts to a direct buyout of an identifiable client group. The environment, the homeless, and the sick and dying in Africa aren't big voters in Canadian elections. Students are, and for me the Martin-Layton plan to reduce tuition fees is the biggest dog in the package. Even if the money gets past the rocky shoals of federal-provincial relations -- no sure thing -- so much of it will brighten the wallets of students who have no trouble affording tuition that little will get to the students who do have trouble. It's a really inefficient use of scarce dollars.
MP Harper:
...is anyone else noticing how badly Stephen Harper handles a bad day? His response to the Layton-Martin deal was to complain it didn't have enough bribes for client groups: "Nothing for workers, nothing for forestry workers in that $5 billion, nothing for seniors, nothing for fishermen, nothing to help the Atlantic offshore . . . nothing for the problems here in this area," he said in southern Ontario. If Harper doesn't want to be accused of harbouring a hidden agenda, he should get an agenda.
There is nothing quite like get criticized for doing a good job.
