Tacking and Bearing in Canadian Politics

Lawrence Martin's column April 21 in the G&M accurately describes how the Liberals are shifting policy direction and leaning left.

I agree with Martin's insight that the Liberals new majordomo, Peter Donolo, is helping to "recalibrate" Liberal policy and possibly the party's electoral fortunes. Long before Ignatieff became leader, I wondered why he even chose the Liberal party. His early policy choices and comments  had more in common with the Conservatives than his own party and, after he usurped the leadership, it was near impossible to tell the difference between Harper's right and Iggy's left. Martin cites recent changes in Liberal policy toward the gun registry, abortion rights, and corporate taxes as evidence of a shift in Liberal thinking.

Tacking left, to use Lawrence Martin's phrase, is a winning strategy provided Iggy and Donolo do not leave room for Harper to do likewise and stake out further territory in the political center. Tacking left is a strategy designed to provide policy room between the two parties but politics, however, abhors a vacuum.

There's also the problem of optics - just how many policy reversals can a man have before he's seen to be without principle? For example, Iggy now wants to kill $6billion in corporate tax cuts, during a tentative recovery from a steep and ugly recession no less.  It also begs the question, if the tax cuts were a good enough idea to vote for them on budget day, why is it such a bad idea now? Iggy supported the bailout for GM & Chrysler so he does support tax and investment for industry. Or doesn't he?

Donolo is a veteran of federal politics and is imparting the tried and true tactics that Chretien used to Ignatieff. Chretien, however, was all about divide and conquer, fear and loathing and playing regions and provinces off one another. Chretien also never faced a unified Conservative Party so it's impossible to tell exactly how effective his tactics really were. Paul Martin's advisors and policy  makers were much more conciliatory and worked to mend fences and they were the same people Ignatieff used in his leadership campaign.

In short, reverting to Chretien era tactics comes at the risk of further balkanizing Canadian politics. Frank Grave's advice to the Liberals to start a "culture war" with the Conservatives, which is old school Chretien politics, may be a winning strategy but at what cost?