The Operative Word Is "Talking."

This akin to people telling you what they would do if they won the lottery...the odds are the same when the liberals talk.

Liberals finally talking policy

January 31, 2010

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff has confounded everyone with his no-nonsense approach to politics over the past week. Conscious of the visceral distaste so many Canadians feel about Prime Minister Stephen Harper's calculated cynicism and the declining health of our parliamentary democracy, the Liberals have displayed a welcome sense of political maturity and substantive policy-making.
Starting last Monday, on the day Parliament was originally due to reconvene, the Liberals unveiled a daily volley of policy statements – critiques of government actions balanced by constructive alternative approaches:
On economic recovery and job creation, the Liberals have shown they are more in touch with the reality of the great recession and a jobless recovery. Ignatieff's concrete proposals to stimulate private sector investment are promising, and his focus on youth unemployment is a badly needed reminder that our young people are paying a heavy price for the downturn.
On accountability and governance reform, Ignatieff highlighted the usurpation of power that has characterized the Prime Minister's Office under Conservative rule. He has also made a commitment to curtail the prime ministerial powers to fire or refuse to reappoint qualified watchdogs who provided independent oversight of the RCMP, the military and our nuclear facilities.
On the proroguing of Parliament, the Liberals have proposed strict new rules to constrain the Prime Minister's manoeuvring room, so as to avoid a repetition of Harper's abuse of process when shutting down debate late last month and avoiding a confidence vote in 2008.
Many of these ideas are embryonic, but they highlight a welcome effort by Ignatieff. After a year at the helm where he seemed distracted by tactics, he is now rolling up his sleeves on substance. He is engaging in debate. And he is making constructive proposals – as we have been urging him to do for some time on this page, and as many progressive thinkers have been suggesting in a series of articles published on the page opposite and online (thestar.com/topic/liberalthoughts).
As the Liberals prepare for their scheduled policy conference in late March in Montreal, they can build on the preparatory work done this past week.
To be sure, there is more work to be done – on deficit reduction, for example, where the Liberals continue to run from the reality of tax hikes. Still, it is a good start. It will serve the Liberals – and all Canadians – in good stead when the Prime Minister finally shows up in Parliament on March 3.