To do something that could cost votes but Michael Ignatieff is a leader.
Canadian Press has the breaking news that "Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says his party will support legislation implementing a harmonized sales tax in Ontario and British Columbia. He says it's good policy and the provinces asked for the harmonization to help create jobs and make their economies more competitive."
As I mentioned in Post 1348...Stephen Harper Loads His Gun, Mikey I is in a tough spot; the Liberal Premiers of British Columbia and Ontario want the HST; the voters in the provinces not so much.
Even if the bill failed, the Stephen Harpers are not treating it as a confidence vote coz the impetus for the bill comes from the provinces.
WFDS
Whether one likes the decision or not, it is consistent with the Liberal Party's policy on HST over the past 15 years. So unless that policy had been changed, other than at the whim of the Liberal leader, it was the only decision that could reasonably be made. I'm just surprised Ignatieff finally stopped his waffling and fence-sitting, which drives people nuts and earns him no respect.
ReplyDeleteHarper isn't shy about making unpopular decisions or sticking by them. That's why he scores so well on survey questions about leadership; maybe this is a lesson Ignatieff has finally learned. If so, about damn time.