The sycophantic sucking up to Guy Giorno by junior PMO staffers took a pause today as the Harperites shuddered with the news that their most credible critic on foreign policy and international law had announced his intention to be an NDP candidate in the next election.(hat tip to Kady O’Malley, who notes with sarcasm the gallery’s obsession de jour with Giorno).
Within the too-thin ranks of Canadian thinkers, Michael Byers is a powerhouse – having unleashed a barrage of criticism on the Harper Conservatives by combining sharp intellect, recognized expertise on foreign policy as well as an appeal that has made him a frequent commentator on TV and print. Particularly at a time when the Harperites are floundering badly on foreign affairs, having Byers on the team is a huge boost for Layton’s critique.
Incidentally, the Byers announcement will also come as a blow to Stephane Dion. Not because Byers will be seeking the Vancouver Centre seat held by parliamentary underperformer and defective burning crosses detector Hedy Fry. And not because Liberals have been courting Byers with all the awkward deliberateness of the geeky kid in a John Hughes flick (note the Scott Brison joint in a recent National Post).
No, the hit to Dion came with Byers’ announcement that he’s joined the NDP becasue he disagrees with Dion’s targetless carbon tax:
"I’ve studied the various federal party policies on climate change. The NDP policy makes the most sense. And it respects individual citizens. The Liberals want to force Canadians to change their behaviour through taxes; the NDP wants to help Canadians to change with solutions."
Byers in short: if you don’t like Harper’s policies, and don’t think Dion should punish people who are already doing their part for the environment, your answer is the NDP.
Photo courtesy of UBC.
2 comments:
7000 vote plurality against Hedy Fry. Byers will not have to worry about losing tenure and his lucrative pension.
He would have ran for the Grits if Dion promised to pull the troops out in 2009. Now he is yours.
Mushroom said He would have ran for the Grits if Dion promised to pull the troops out in 2009. Now he is yours.
Translation: He would have ran for the Grits if Dion had done what he promised Liberals he would when he won the leadership in 2006.
First Afghanistan, now carbon tax. Precisely what policy did Dion run on to win the leadership that he still believes in today?
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