John Ivison has a column today and the new cooperative atmosphere between the Opposition parties.
...In a joint press conference, all three leaders called on the government to give loan guarantees to Canadian softwood lumber companies paying duties to the U.S. government
...There is a line of thought gaining credence in Ottawa that sees Stephen Harper as the most likely resident of 24 Sussex Drive after this election, even if the Liberals end up with the most seats.
The reasoning rests if Mr. Layton's declaration that the Martin Liberals lack the moral authority to govern. Having denounced the party, it is difficult to see how Mr. Layton could prop up a second Liberal minority under Mr. Martin and retain credibility.
With all due respect to Andrew Coyne, who I think is the first one to float this concept, this is nonsense. The only reason that the Liberals have lost the "moral authority to govern" is because they have not win an election having to defend the full impact of the Sponsorship Program. Should the Liberals win the next election, even in minority fashion, it can be seen as a shrug of the shoulders by the Canadian people (o.k. Ontarians, Montrealers and Maritimers) and an effective reclaiming of the moral authority. They will have been weighed and measured and Canadians will have said, yeah I want I little more. And if the NDP can use this to advance their agenda I bet they will in a heart beat.
This part is more important.
...Any accommodation between Mr. Harper and Mr. Layton may lead skittish voters to conclude the NDP leader will be able to moderate any potential to lurch rightward by the Conservative party, allowing them to vent their pent-up frustrations on the Liberals by voting either Tory or New Democrat.
There are already concerns among senior Liberals that a loose alliance of opposition leaders could spell trouble for the Prime Minister in the leaders' debates, with the other three ignoring one another and rounding on Mr. Martin.
