Increasingly we are hearing calls from Conservative politicians and the media for Michael Ignatieff and his Liberals to come up with some actual suggestions and ideas instead of merely criticizing the current government at every turn (all the while supporting it in critical votes.)
Today John Ivison points this out in his column Branding the Arctic Tory Blue:
…But complaints that Conservative resilience is entirely down to an attack ad campaign are off-base. Undermining your rival, at the same time as you build your own brand, is just another aspect of the same game plan. Mr. Ignatieff seems to have failed to appreciate this — he has attacked the government, as any good leader of the Official Opposition is obliged to, but he has neglected to offer Canadians any sense of where he would take the country. It is increasingly hard to spot any genuine policy differences with the Prime Minister...
Even the usual Liberal media cheerleaders are starting to wane in their hero-worship. James Travers explains in his column, Michael Ignatieff hurt by his own tactics:
…They have yet to provide compelling reasons for a return to government, seem content defining themselves as Conservative-lite and are following a leader growing awkwardly into his political skin…
( . . . )
…Between then and now, Liberals need to build a platform strong enough to carry the party though a campaign, one with planks that prove their standard-bearing public intellectual is also smart enough to have good, practical ideas…
Sounds as if James is getting tired of the steady diet of fluff and needs a side-plate of substance.
Michael Ignatieff has thus far steered clear of stating his vision for Canada in terms of concrete ideas (other than his lame EI proposal). He claims this is because he doesn’t want the Conservatives to ’steal’ his ideas.
And just like Stephane Dion, he is unable to explain what he would have done differently in the current economic crisis.
In today’s National Post, Conservative MP Ted Menzies poses a few questions in his rebuttal to Liberal MP Marc Garneau’s earlier critique:
…In his article, Mr. Garneau didn’t offer any constructive criticism or suggestions for alternative measures. Instead, and staying true to the Liberal party’s track record, he unequivocally condemned our plan. So let me openly challenge Mr. Garneau and his Liberal colleagues to contribute to the debate in an intelligent fashion.
And here are a few questions for them to consider: Are you against Conservative measures to lower the tax burden on Canadians and businesses? Are you against our increased, record transfers to the provinces and territories for vital services, like health care? Do you oppose support for our men and women in the Armed Forces? Do you disagree with our systematic review of all government spending and assets?
Canadians deserve, now more than ever, elected officials ready to act more responsibly and engage in honest debate. That is something Marc Garneau and the Liberal party have shown themselves unwilling to do.
Well if we take Michael Ignatieff at his word that he actually does have plans for Canada beyond his usual lofty rhetoric, I would wager that he could force the Government to own up to it if his ideas were used in their platform. He could point to it and say, See? That way my our idea and they’re using it.
So I’m calling BS on you Michael Ignatieff. You reached into the deep well of your giant brain and came up empty. If I’m wrong, prove it!
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Update: H/T to Jad for this memorable quote by Paul Wells:
…The Liberals’ incoherence on the question has been obvious, and embarrassing to them, for months. And yet their leader, a fellow by the name of Michael Ignatieff, has done nothing zip zero nada to fix it. So I’m left thinking, not for the first time, that he wouldn’t know how to run a lemonade stand.
