In Ottawa, all the talk is of a potential Liberal-NDP deal to form a united left. But surely the only coalition that makes sense is one that joins the Liberals and Conservatives.Umm........... I don't think so. Maybe some blue Liberals could join in with the Conservatives but as a whole, I don't think it would work. Liberals used to support corporate tax cuts, they don't no more. They support the NDP stance which is stop the tax cuts and maybe even to raise them.
This is not as far-fetched as it sounds. Rhetoric aside, the Liberals under Michael Ignatieff are far closer to the Conservatives than they are to Jack Layton’s New Democrats.
The governing and official opposition parties may quibble over details. But in broad terms, they are on the same page.
Maurizio Bevilacqua Liberal Immigartion critic had been working with Immigration and Citizenship Minister Jason Kenny for months on reforming the refugee system. They had made some progress until is was kiboshed by the others in the party. Jason had to find others to work with.
Also, the Libs have been leaning left in recent years with the infilitration of the NDP, take Bob Rae and Ujjal Dosanjh for example both former NDP premiers who didn't do much good for their provinces.
National Day Care, gun registry program, Kyoto, for instance are not exactly right wing policies. Those policies are more in line with the NDP not the CPC.
In fact the Libs are desperately trying to save the long gun registry right now that Conservative MP Candace Hoeppner is trying to scrap through her private members bill through some kind of procedural motion.
So a coalition with Libs and CPC, NO! Mr. Walkom has it wrong. Besides, the coup attempt in Dec. 2008 with the Dippers and the Bloc to overthrow the newly elected Conservative government has tainted the Libs for any collaboration with the Conservatives in a coalition or merger probably forever.
