Who is the elitist now?

Scott Reid has the breast best idea yet.

"It offers a crisp cleavage with the government that, properly communicated, can lend the Liberals and their leader some desperately needed definition."

It's often difficult for a party to find that one issue that will resonate clearly with enough Canadians not only to make a difference in an election, but to define the party as well.  Scott Reid may have identified it:

"When Stephen Harper can, Stephen Harper does behave like the most conservative prime minister in our nation's history. So fear not, all you howl-at-the-moon Milton Friedmans. His unwillingness to expand the CPP — which ranks as just about the most successful pension-income security plan in the developed world — is bold confirmation that Ayn Rand still triumphs over common sense, public interest and sound policy in Harper's Ottawa."

Reid suggests three moves the Liberals should make:

(Have Igatieff) personally lead the charge and to persuasively state the problem — preferably in plain, uncomplicated language: Working Canadians are worried their pension income will be so low they won't ever find it possible to retire. Harper suggests new private sector savings options. But one in four Canadians already can't contribute a single dollar to their RRSPs.  The better way is to build on the CPP. It includes all Canadians — not just some.

(H)it on Harper's motivations...Harper and the Conservatives prefer private pension plans sold by banks and insurance companies instead of the CPP. That's because they can afford to pay into private pension plans. Most people can't. Just like most people don't have those large taxpayer-funded pensions that Harper and his cabinet get. Initially, every province but one said yes to helping all Canadians by building on the CPP. Stephen Harper said no. Just like he said no to a law that would have made Nortel pay pensioners and those on disability a fuller portion of what the company owed them.

(T)alk about the role of government: Ottawa has an obligation to act in the public interest, to help deliver opportunity to the middle class and to defend our seniors. In times like these when most people wonder if they'll ever be able to retire we need the national government to show national leadership. Stephen Harper believes the CPP is just another issue where government should step aside. Liberals believe government has an obligation to step up.

Nice.  Turn that whole elitist theme back onto harper and take on an issue that affects most Canadians.  We are all headed toward retirement and the economic landscape is looking more precarious every year.  The first wave of baby-boomers hits 65 this year.

Oh, and keep mentioning cleavage.  Gotta win over those older men.

That should win over some of the male vote

“The cleavages are becoming sharper and more and more clear,” said Mr. Ignatieff.

Ignatieff may finally be listening to Liberal supporters who have been threatening to pull their support.   -

Liberal Party will oppose the Conservative government’s budget, Michael Ignatieff says, greatly increasing the likelihood of an election call in February or March.

The Liberal party also spoke with a lot more conviction yesterday in the House.  Maybe they are finally realizing that propping up the harperites to stall off an election because they are down in the polls is part of what is keeping them down in the polls.  That, and one other thing -

“I have low expectations that there will be anything in the budget” that his party can support, the Liberal Leader declared on Thursday in a year-end interview with The Globe and Mail, “because I think the differences in political philosophy are very clear.”

A lot of us have not been seeing clear differences, which has also caused many of us to turn away.  Words are fine, Ignatieff, and you have been telling us about some of the policies you would implement, but it's your actions we will watch.

This sudden energy just before Christmas may work well for the Liberals.  Canadians seem tired of the same-old.  Year end articles emphasizing harper's do nothing party and did-nothing rule feed that itch for change as well.

It will take a lot more than words to get past supporters to trust the Libs, me included.  I'd rather see a coalition NDP/Lib to get harper out and to keep the Libs focused on social policies, human rights, fair treatment for all Canadians.  A Lib minority would likely give us another dysfunctional House unless they and the NDP come to an informal agreement to put policy before politics and actually get something done.

Hearing Goodale in the House talk about stopping tax cuts for corporations was encouraging.  The overall focus yesterday the Libs placed on social issue was good.

Hard to see how they can back down from those clear policies and prop harper up this spring.  It has happened before, though, but the Liberals will lose whatever goodwill they gained this week if they do that.

Just vote the bastarcons out.  Then be ready to work on behalf of all of us - whether it's a coalition or Lib minority - because we'll be very vocal.