Bob Rae was noticeably absent from oral questions in Parliament yesterday and he wasn't alone; 18 other Liberal MPs were also too busy doing something else rather than showing up to do their jobs even though Michael Ignatieff's office ordered everyone to be there.
In total 19 out of 75 Liberal MPs, almost 25% of the entire Liberal caucus, were absent yesterday, which must really tick Ignatieff off considering all of the time he invested this summer telling Canadians just how hard he and his party were going to work for them when they returned to work this fall. Another leadership fail, but there is something else revealed here which could be much much worse for his Iffyness.
If he can't get his own caucus to bother to show up on the first day back to work this fall, even though he instructed them to be there, what is going to happen when it comes time for that same Liberal caucus to show up to the whipped vote on the long gun registry?
Remember that Ignatieff has at least 8 MPs in that caucus who had previously voted to represent their constituents wishes against the long gun registry and who now are being directed to change their vote under orders from Ignatieff. If 1 or 2 decide not to show up rather than go against the whip, the long gun registry just may die. Considering the amount of taunting and name calling that the LPC and their minions have been directing towards Jack Layton and the NDP these past few weeks on this issue, if it turns out that Ignatieff and his party are the ones that cause the demise of the LG registry, it would be absolutely devastating to his leadership; in fact I think it would all be over for him as leader of the LPC within a few short months.
You are not on the bus anymore Mr. Ignatieff.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
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14 comments:
Nice catch, but Liberals skipping work is nothing new. They get high and mighty when the PM prorogues parliament, but then don't show up when it is business as usual.
I don't know where Bob Rae and the bunch were, but Liberal MP Keith Martin was hiding at a conference in Seattle, WA today while his office staff in Victoria shut the office and snuck out the back door 15 minutes before an anti-registry ralley started in front of his office. There were over 50 people in attendance and 40 of them were from local gun clubs. Does not look good for Keith if he votes to kill Bill C391 on Wednesday. My guess is that he will not show up in Ottawa in time for the vote. Keith has always been a bit of a maverick and this would not be out of character for him.
He managed to hang on to his seat in 2008 by a very slim margin. This could be enough to send him back to practicing medicine after the next election.
Just looked it up - that "slim margin" I mentioned was 68 votes between him and Consevative Troy DeSousa.
Interesting, 68 votes. C68 the Firearms Act. Coincedence? hmmmm...
were those same absent liberals also the same ones who wanted to scrap the registry? that might be telling too. i wont get my hopes up though.
brad
Iggy appears to be sleep-walking into tomorrow's vote. We'll soon see how much prepatory work he, his whip and house leader have done, on the MPs.
I've always got the impression from Iggy that he does mostly useless, irrelevant "work" for a leader.
I think they're practicing for the gun vote coming up.
Jim Pook, for curosity sake "where are the media on Keith disappearance or are they too proroguing their job as they have been doing for years."
You are right Iceman, the liberals will scream PROROGATION had the conservatives decided to abandon their jobs on the first day.
Heh, this Iffy rebellion-by-no-show reminds me of:
'Deb Grey quit the Canadian Alliance and joined 10 other Alliance dissidents in the "Independent Alliance Caucus." While Chuck Strahl eventually emerged as the dissidents' leader, Grey lent the group instant credibility since she had been Reform/Alliance's matriarch as well as the deputy leader.
When Day offered an amnesty to the dissidents, Grey was one of seven who turned it down and formed the Democratic Representative Caucus (DRC), led by Strahl with Grey as deputy leader.
In September 2001, the DRC formed a coalition caucus with the Progressive Conservatives, and Grey served as chairwoman of the PC-DRC caucus....'
Is history about to repeat???
If you were forced to drink Tim Horton's, smile on a bus you might need another few weeks to recuperate.
Those vacationing Liberals may have to go slumming for votes during a campaign but not on their summer break!
Another bad day at the office or is the coalition getting their ducks in row?
I think too many MPs know that Ignatieff is a lame duck leader and the fight for the next leader has already begun. Why else why Coderre brought back in the fold? Why why Goodale-McGuinty given more responsibility?
Bob may be rounding up his loyal MPs for a touch of the flu?
If so this makes for 2 bad days at the office for Iggy.
For fun, let's change the year and the name:
In September 2010 (2001), the DRC formed a coalition caucus with the NDP (Progressive Conservatives), and Rae (Grey) served as chairwoman of the NDP(PC)-DRC caucus....
If I was in the OLO I would be very nervous on what will happen tomorrow.
Ignatieff doesn't have much of a record controlling his caucus.
Is there a link anywhere about this ?. I want to post it on the FB group, C.A.P.P.
A link to what specifically Bert?
Too busy out there working their second and third jobs I suppose. But you are correct, we could have some surprises tomorrow. (real conservative)
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