In today's online Globe, Lawrence Martin offers a lacerating analysis of the departure of what he calls “the ethcially upright” (Chuck Strahl, Stockwell Day, and earlier, Jay Hill) from the Harper regime. He describes them as “low key and reasonable, not inclined to engage in character assassination. They won admiration for their sense of decency, so it’s in this respect that their departures will hurt the government.”
Consider the key material Harper has to work with in terms of Cabinet representation from Ontario: ”From the old Harris government, the Tories have House Leader John Baird, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Trade Minister Peter Van Loan, Industry Minister Tony Clement and campaign manager Guy Giorno.”
Need one say more?
This is where the Liberals need to get straightforward on their messaging. We should be seeing the term "Stephen Harper and his Mike Harris Conservatives" on everything that comes from of the LPC war room into Ontarian living rooms.
ReplyDeleteI'm honestly not sure that Stockwell Day commanded broad "admiration," except perhaps from those with abysmally short memories, like newspaper journalists.
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