Now that the great and unbeatable Michael Ignatieff has acknowledged that Newfoundland and Labrador MPs have a separate status in the Liberal caucus and that Premier Williams still has the ability to push around Liberal leaders, maybe he should tell us what he really thinks about equalization.
Supposedly, he allowed his Newfoundland MPs to vote against him and the budget because he believed they were making a legitimate argument about unfair treatment by the federal government toward my home province. Yet it turns out Ignatieff may be misleading Newfoundlanders.
I know it is a little boring here in Canada for Iggy but we haven't all been lulled into a long winter nap only to forget what he said about equalization not so long ago.
"All Canadians have this uneasy sense that fiscal federalism no longer makes sense and it's creating strains in the federation," Ignatieff said, adding that he supports a 10- province standard but believes a cap for have provinces might be a balance that all provinces could accept. (Charlottetown Guardian, August 21, 2006)
The 10 province standard is what Minister Flaherty has brought in. So does Iggy believe in this? If he does, then is he not playing fast and loose with my province? Misleading them?
Be careful Iggy. Your life in Canada won't be too pedestrian or quiet if it turns out you are trying to pull a ruse on the Rock.