Election speculation shifts into overdrive; conservatives are engineering their own defeat.
That’s the going round of late, with the speculation being the much hated harmonized sales tax coming into effect in Ontario and British Columbia may be the conservatives’ attempt to engineer their own defeat in order to take a slap shot at an election. It’s an interesting possibility, though it’s not exactly clear how that would help the conservatives considering they’re half the reason we’re talking about it–provincial liberals are, of course, the other half.
It’s interesting to note, though, that the liberals are circling overhead like vultures, waiting to pounce on the HST proposal in an attempt to flatten the conservatives in a possible election, at least in Ontario and BC. There’s just one problem. The conservatives’ poison pill, if it actually goes through before the next election–not likely unless the liberals or NDP do the flip flop dance again, would not be axed by the liberals should they come out on top. Which begs the question. Just who is this poison pill for?
Ignatieff will no doubt criticise Harper for its introduction–he’s already called it the Harper sales tax. And he will probably continue to do so in an election campaign. But if it’s known he’d keep it in place were he made prime minister, I have a real hard time seeing how it makes the liberal campaign on that issue any degree of effective. Best case, it becomes a non-starter for both the liberals and conservatives come election time. Worst case? The NDP, who have opposed it from the get go–and just about everything else on principle, fire at both parties on the issue and gain ground on both of them. On the up side, if you’re the type to look for up sides, if Harper goes, look for him to try and take Ignatieff down with him. If the liberals decide to make it a campaign issue, that’s very likely going to happen.
