Principle? What's That?

Finally, overdue retirement of the studied and stupid nomenclature clamped on to the minority government of "Canada's New Government". It's gone, and we're all the better for it. Now it's simply "this government", and hallelujah. As in 'this government' is a clean one. Ah, those sly, not-quite subtle tricks of memory retention, harking back to the bad old days of government malfeasance under the Liberals.

That was then, this is now, with a new leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, mightily aspiring to a self-righteous come-back as the higher-power-inspired government of entitlement. In the care of a Liberal stalwart who adores flexing his integrity-laden muscles of indignation against the blundering assaults of the hidden-agenda-unprincipled mountebanks representing the current government.

The stalwart, trustworthy champion of principle, the front-line charger of ideological purity has experienced a quandary he's been incapable of surmounting. So much for principled attestations of intent, and squandered opportunities to put his principles to active duty. Tch, tch. But then the opportunity came at him like a juggernaut, representing a nightmare scenario even his inept leadership wasn't able to anticipate.

So, for all his righteous fulminating about standing up for what he believes in, he found it more expedient to stand down. It was all a vast misunderstanding, in any event. When he insisted that the Conservative government enlist its all-out efforts in support of the Kyoto Agreement, he was revealing his personal failure as Minister of the Environment in the previous government which casually signed on to Kyoto, sans commitment and subsequent action.

For having done little, it is now clear he has such great faith in the Conservatives to mend what the Liberals have torn asunder, that he simply cannot believe his faith has been misplaced. And thus he mourns yet another hallucinatory mirage evaporated. True, he warned dire consequences for the Conservative-ruled Government of Canada should they insist on stepping down from Kyoto, but he didn't mean it, not really.

As for the law-and-order package, containing many things that this country requires implementation of, along with the contentious issue of anti-terrorism security certificates; just think of it as an omnibus bill. We get a whole lot for our vote of confidence: more realistic penalties for impaired driving, raising the age of sexual (congress) consent, imposition of stricter bail conditions for commission of crimes while under the influence of a firearm.

We'll take it, we'll take it all. In the not-so-distant past the anti-terrorism security agenda, ushered into law by the Liberals and declared unfit for Canadian consumption by this newer incarnation of the Liberals was grandly denounced, but now, under these somewhat dire circumstances, there is nothing, alas, to denounce. We're feeling a little peckish, a trifle feeble, not willing to risk the near future for a carte-blanche slate of majority governance.

The Liberals cry out in pain at the Conservative move to de-centralize government in favour of offering the provinces leave to opt out of universal programmes with reasonably reflective compensation as long as compatible programmes are advanced by the provinces. A limiting of federal spending of tax dollars in instances of clear provincial jurisdictions - yet another favour to Quebec, accounting for their new-found liking for the Conservatives, and loathing for the Liberals.

All right, so the Liberals can swallow hard and decide it isn't worth battling over, and rejecting the Conservative agenda outright. Which doesn't mean they can't criticize and groan over provisions they say fall short of what the country needs. Which, needless to say, only they can deliver, not the perfidious, black-hearted Conservatives with their private, backroom agendas the unsuspecting electorate will only become apprised of once they elect a majority Conservative government.

He's saving us from ourselves. For, he pompously declares, there is a higher principle at stake here. While fully recognizing his commitment to his original intent, he also recognizes his commitment to the taxpayers and voters of Canada who do not wish to have imposed upon them another election, representing the third in five years. Especially when the economy is on boom-cycle, the unemployment rate as low as it's ever been, and Canada is feeling pretty good.

But Stephane Dion's prized personal project in which he has generously invested such grand rhetoric? The Conservative government of Stephen Harper speaks of the clear and present danger to our environment adequately evident in climate change. How they are prepared to take needed action to preserve our quality of life, to avoid the dilemma of increasing health threats for Canadian children and elders. Lovely motherhood statements. Who would cavil?

Hands up everyone! And another backhand slap to the previous governing Liberals: "It is now widely understood that, because of inaction on greenhouse gases over the last decade, Canada's emissions cannot be brought to the level required under the Kyoto Protocol within the compliance period which begins on January 1, 2008, just 77 days from now." Heart-stopping declaration that.

And now you've done it; these dastardly declarations and immobilizing decisions have made Stephane Dion angry, very angry. Game over for this government. Oh, on second thought, no? You sure? Too much to lose, too little to gain? How's that again, Stephane?