Blue Like You

PM Stephen Harper has often been vilified by the press for his so-called iron-fisted grasp on his caucus. However, I have discovered evidence that even the genial Dalton McGuinty is not the easiest leader to get along with.

Pity poor Environment Minister John Gerretsen when he had to sweat through a photo op where he heard his boss say something totally not in the plan , and yet he got blasted anyway for not calling him out in public.

Yes, indeed. John Gerretsen was blamed for being - wait for it - unduly deferential! . Next time he’s supposed to contradict McGuinty if the Premier makes a mistake in public. Can you imagine such a scene?

"Well, actually, the Premier just misspoke, er, made a mistake, um I mean, didn’t read the script. O.K. He SCREWED UP, ALRIGHT???" - Nah, I can’t quite see it happening either.

Talk about a no-win situation.

Oh, and did you know that McGuinty’s a loner?

"He is not an easy guy to know," said one minister, stressing McGuinty keeps his own counsel and is not particularly close to anyone in cabinet.

And you thought only Conservative Prime Ministers were like that.

And then this juicy tidbit is disclosed:

Another Liberal points his index finger to his foot and says "pow" as he refers to the current Lord’s Prayer debacle.

"Why are we shooting ourselves in the foot by opening that can of worms?" said the MPP, recalling that the Liberals were re-elected largely thanks to Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory’s unpopular pledge to fund faith-based schools.

Why indeed?

Well, in any case, that particular May 10 Star article led to another story exposed in the Star where apparently McGuinty chewed out the whole caucus:

"We’re Liberals and from time to time we are going to have different opinions, but we’re always going to emerge, once we’ve taken a position, we’re always going to emerge strong and united ."

In a move that even loyalists now concede was ill-advised, McGuinty ordered all staff members to leave the Liberal caucus room on May 13 then criticized MPPs for speaking out of school .

Well, it seems that somebody must have been playing hooky that day, because again we have one tiny, brave voice speaking out against his Government’s decree that sex-change operations will be funded on the taxpayer’s dime , even though so many people are waiting for operations on other vital organs:

"What I need to hear clearly – and I haven’t – is what is the rationale for this?" said Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor, who said he’s been getting a number of calls and emails from constituents. "This one sort of came out of the blue."

Perhaps Kim Craitor should prepare for his after-school detention. Five hundred lines of "I must not cross my leader" should do it.

Constituents’ wishes are irrelevant. McGuinty is king.

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Friday Update : Excellent column by Christina Blizzard - Grits show second-term rot . Kim Craitor may soon be getting some company in that detention room:

…First, there was Premier Dalton McGuinty’s plan to axe the Lord’s Prayer in the legislature.
Several Liberal backbenchers are up in arms, and say this move came out of nowhere.

York West Liberal Mario Sergio feels very personally about this and has been inundated with signatures on petitions in his riding. He’s even been asked to speak about the issue at churches. He claims other Liberals are also opposed to the plan . . .

…"It has caught many Liberals by total surprise, coming from nowhere. I have to tell you I am not in support of changing it, modifying it, whatever," he said.

"We are nibbling at the few things we have left as Ontarians and Canadians here," Sergio said ….

Blizzard then mentions Kim Craitor’s objection to the reversal of the sex-change delisting, and notes:

…What all this represents, of course, is the disconnect between the McGuinty government’s urban caucus with its grass roots support around the province — and a desperate attempt by Liberal MPPs to distance themselves from the central decision-making process.

Smitherman represents Toronto Centre, a riding that is home to a large number of transgendered people. He ignores the fact you can’t get an eye exam without paying, since the Grits delisted that service, along with physiotherapy and chiropractic services in their first budget.

Look, no doubt we’re all moved by the plight of people who think they’re trapped in a body that’s the wrong sex. Frankly, though, the part of their body that needs examination is their head, not their private bits. And you can’t have health policy dictated by what is politically popular in downtown Toronto. Talk about squeaky wheels! …

Oh boy. That last sentence will likely elicit a few letters to the editor from Toronto Centre!

* * * *

Steve Janke on more loose Liberal lips - This time at the federal level. But in this case, the leader has no control at all.

Oh, and this is sweet! Via Steve Janke :

…Turner says the Liberals, being in opposition for the past two years, have forgotten the need for iron discipline within caucus, something Conservatives, with their considerable experience on the wrong side of the Commons, are now showing themselves to be extremely good at .

-Just a bit ironic, don’t you think?