A reader prompted me for reaction to the busy week that the government's had with policy announcements, policy hints and financial statements. So here goes:
I think the reverse onus gun crime laws are a big hit... when even Dalton McShifty is supporting a law and order measure, you know it's going to sell everywhere, including the 905.
The Quebec as nation thing: I'm agnostic. Never lived there, not likely to, and I'm an immigrant so it's really not my issue. It seems to have upset Gilles Duceppe, which might suggest at least to me, that it's a good move politically. The Bloc is still the opposition in Quebec, so anything that can wrongfoot them seems like a good move. I'm not convinced the CPC motion has anything like the major repercussions some are seeing.
On income splitting, I'm still hopeful.It would have been nice to see something today on this, but I suspect that the government is waiting for the results of the trial balloon. Given that the next election will probably hinge on the next budget, the CPC wants the other parties to commit to a position on income splitting between now and then. Get the media buzz going and they will sooner or later have to adopt a position; then the budget will contain the CPC's income splitting proposals if any, and the other parties will either have to backtrack or stick with the position they adopt now.
The proposal on paying down the debt and using the interest savings for tax cuts is masterful. It's too prudent to be attacked and it gives us all a stake in reducing the debt, which is something that people don't always understand or see the need for.
So overall I think a good week. We're all in a holding pattern now until the Liberal convention anyway. Once we know who we're up against I expect to see more announcements to complete the squares in the election platform mosaic.
