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Liberal fear-mongering (lead-up to 2004 election)

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Liberal fear-mongering

National Post

March 17, 2004

The federal Liberals are running scared, and it's starting to show. For the first time since taking power more than a decade ago, Paul Martin's party appears in genuine danger of losing its grip on a majority government in the coming election. So it's fallen back on the same sort of scare tactics used to dissuade voters from supporting the Reform party and Canadian Alliance in past campaigns. This time, though, the Liberals are branching out from their usual claim that their opponents are a bunch of knuckle-dragging rednecks by hinting that the Conservatives are itching to make nice with Quebec sovereigntists.

On Monday, Liberal MP Scott Brison -- who sat as a Tory until this past December -- took aim at all three Conservative leadership candidates for refusing to reject working with the Bloc Quebecois in a vote-by-vote basis in a minority government scenario. "Is this going to be Canada's next 'alliance' party?" Mr. Brison huffed. "This is an outrageous notion. This new party will obviously go to any lengths -- even put the political stability of this country at risk -- to attain power. It is a disgusting example of just how power-hungry these individuals are."

The following day, fellow Liberal MP Keith Martin -- formerly with the Canadian Alliance -- issued a press release along exactly the same lines. "Any Party planning to work with the Bloc Quebecois whose primary goal is to separate Quebec from Canada is making a Faustian Bargain, compromising the very fabric of our country," Mr. Martin charged.

We'd like to think that Messrs. Brison and Martin are just carrying grudges. But it's more likely they're participating in a concerted -- and probably centrally orchestrated -- effort to discredit their former party. Consider that, this past weekend, Paul Martin himself hinted (albeit in much more subtle fashion) at the same charges. "I suspect that anybody that would contemplate voting Conservative in the rest of the country will think twice if they hear that kind of thing," the Prime Minister said of suggestions that the Conservatives and Bloc could work together.

If Conservatives were talking about forming a governing coalition with the Bloc, the Liberals would have cause to complain. Certainly, it would be beyond the pale for federalists to put their own interests ahead of national unity by handing a share of government to a party whose primary goal is to break up the country. But nobody is talking about that; in fact, both the Conservative leadership candidates and Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe have rejected any suggestion of a formal coalition. All the Conservatives are talking about is seeking Bloc support on individual pieces of legislation. How exactly that's offensive is a mystery. If in a minority government, would the Conservatives be expected to attempt to dissuade members of other parties from voting with them?

Even more offensive than the Liberals' fear-mongering, though, is their blatant hypocrisy. After all,if anyone should be taking heat for cozying up to Quebec nationalists, it's them. Paul Martin, not Stephen Harper, Belinda Stronach or Tony Clement, enlisted Jean Lapierre -- a former Liberal MP who helped Lucien Bouchard found the Bloc Quebecois, and recently dismissed the Clarity Act as "useless" -- as his Quebec lieutenant and "star candidate" for the upcoming election. It was Mr. Martin who welcomed floor-crossing Bloc MP Robert Lanctot into the Liberal fold just before taking over the Prime Minister's Office. It was Mr. Martin who dumped Stephane Dion, one of the most effective Chretien-era ministers, from his Cabinet to appease soft nationalists who disliked him. And it was Mr. Martin who, in the past, waffled on Mr. Dion's Clarity Act and other federalist policies for fear of alienating his Quebec supporters.

Mr. Brison was absolutely right to criticize anyone who would "put the political stability of this country at risk" to suit his own political interests. But he has his guns aimed in the wrong direction. If anyone, he should be taking up these concerns with his new boss.
© National Post 2004




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"All the Conservatives are talking about is seeking Bloc support on individual pieces of legislation. How exactly that's offensive is a mystery."


It goes beyond simply seeking support on individual pieces of legislation. They can achieve that right now by voting as their conscience tells them. The fact that they are actively forming this new alliance now with the seperatists shows how desperate the Conservatives are.

I hope it backfires on them.
 
"...It is a disgusting example of just how power-hungry these individuals are."


A rather ironic statement!
 
I don't think taking what former Tory MP's are saying about the new conservative party and painting the entire Liberal party as fear-mongering is a fair statement.

However, I am sure they are using "fear tactics" in other ways. All parties do it. That does not excuse it, but it happens.

From what I understand, the NDP stands to gain a bit of ground in the upcoming election because the Liberals have drifted too far to the right.
 

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