Politicis at the Core & Playing the Wedge

Lawrence Martin of the Globe&Mail argues today that the Conservatives are focused on their own core supporters and wedge politics. The Conservatives, he argues, are all about small tent politics.

Someone, anyone, give me an example of a wedge issue used by the Conservatives to drive the Left apart?

Jack Layton has said repeatedly he can't or won't trust Harper and the NDP is committed, long-term, to voting against every single Conservative initiative. There's no better or easier bet to make than NDP intransigence against Conservative plans or initiatives.

Ditto Giles Duceppe and the Bloc.

Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals alternate between support and revulsion. Every time a key vote occurs, the Liberals provide enough support to keep the government going be it the budget, omnibus bills or Afghanistan. The previous Conservative budgets have passed with nary a comment nor amendment from the Liberal bench. The Liberal rubber stamp in the House has gotten so bad that the Senate is taking a serious look at splitting apart government legislation and sending it back to the House for proper debate.

The Conservatives may be a party of many small tents governing with small ideas, but it's the Opposition, and especially the Liberals, that allow it to continue.

If the Left in Canada is fractured it's because Canadians have made it so. There are no wedge issues, aside from overt fear of an election and possible Conservative majority, driving the Left apart.

Take gun control and the firearms registry, for example. A Conservative private members bill received support from the Liberal and NDP at first reading and committee and forced both parties to promise to whip the vote to prevent it from passing Third Reading. Both parties, despite their Big Tent declarations, quickly closed ranks to ensure support from their core constituents.

I don't think Larry Martin is biased; I think he's being deliberately disingenuous by arguing that the Conservatives are playing to their core supporters on key issues. There has NEVER been a government that HASN'T played to their core supporters regardless of party name, ideology or affiliation.

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