Just to be clear
There's an old hackneyed expression that folks who live in Alberta like to trot out every time there's a significant change in the province's (notoriously) changeable weather. It goes like this: "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute."
James Cudmore
Sometimes politics feels like that.
Take Jack Layton, today, in his leader's speech to the NDP caucus.
Layton was talking about the upcoming Conservative budget (only eight more days!), and naturally folks were wondering just where the will NDP stand when it comes to voting for or against the Conservative government.
After a 20 minute critique of Stephen Harper and Conservative economic management, Layton laid it all out: "And if the Liberals decide to support Mr. Harper, I have to tell them — and they should know this — that they'll be doing it alone."
"Ah ha!" you may think. "The NDP are voting AGAINST the budget, sight unseen!"
See how clear Layton was? "If the Liberals decide to support Mr. Harper, they'll be doing it alone."
But, it's important in politics to be clear about things. And, just to be clear, in a scrum about 30 minutes later, a reporter (okay, it was me) asked Layton, just what message he was trying to send. "We have lost confidence in Mr Harper to deliver what Canadians need," Layton said.
But, you'll note, that doesn't quite say Layton's NDP will 100 per cent, absolutely vote against the budget, does it? (It's pretty close, but that doesn't count in politics.)
So, is there any chance the NDP could support the budget, another reporter asked, and if so, what would it take?
"It would take some demonstration by Mr. Harper that we can trust him now. We didn't have confidence in him seven weeks ago and he has refused to deliver on things he has put in previous budgets when he didn't agree with them," Layton said.
Okay. So, we're headed toward a No vote here, right? Well, maybe not.
"I don't know where he could come up with that kind of demonstration." Oh no! Layton doesn't know how it could happen, but maybe it could! Does that mean the NDP could vote to support the budget?
"I have lost confidence in Mr Harper's administration, and that's, of course, going to make it very difficult for us when it comes to the budget."
Difficult? You're telling me.
James Cudmore
About the Authors
- Rosemary Barton started her television career reporting from Quebec City where she covered the ins and outs of Quebec politics. She moved to the CBC Parliamentary Bureau in 2007. She also stood on the side of road awaiting U.S. President Barack Obama's motorcade for hours in the cold. When she finally spotted him, all of Canada heard her shriek, "I saw him!"
- Alison Crawford worked in Fredericton, Calgary and Winnipeg before returning to her hometown to work in the CBC parliamentary bureau. Her beats include the RCMP, justice, public safety and the Liberals. Alison credits her investigative skills as well as a national etiquette column and coverage of a ferret Christmas party, with having prepared her for covering national politics.
- Andrew Davidson is a producer for the CBC politics page in Toronto. He joined CBCNews.ca's national desk in 2006 and was the lead news writer for the website's 2008 federal election coverage.
- Chris Hall is the National Affairs Editor for CBC News. He's been a member of the CBC Parliamentary Bureau since 1998. That adds up to 11 budgets, four elections, three prime ministers and too many confidence votes to count. Chris started his career in print before moving to the CBC in 1992. Since then, he's worked in Toronto, Halifax and St. John's, as well as Ottawa.
- Leslie MacKinnon Leslie's been working in news and current affairs since newsrooms used teletype, televison was shot on film and radio tape was edited with a razor blade. She saw through The Journal's long run on CBC-TV, and since then has worked in Halifax, Toronto and Ottawa in the CBC's various permutations. Right now, she's a TV news reporter in the political bureau, and likes certain parts of Ottawa - the canal, the Hill - a lot.
- Janyce McGregor has been a television producer in the CBC's Parliamentary Bureau since 2001. She started her career working for Studio 2 on TVOntario. In 2005 her then-doctoral student husband persuaded her to follow him to the U.K., where she worked for BBC World Service Radio in London. Janyce is originally a farm girl from southwestern Ontario. Her most important job title is "Norah's Mom."
- Chris Rands has been a member of the Parliamentary bureau since 2001. He started at Toronto's AM Radio giant CFRB before moving to CBC's National Radio News in 1996. Chris has worked in Toronto, Moncton, Sudbury, Regina, Washington and St John's. Every time Chris walks up to the Peace Tower, he wants to throw his hat in the air like Mary Tyler Moore.
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