Angry in the Great White North

Apparently, the Liberals are ready for an election.  Hey, it's possible.

Election-shy Liberals are suddenly threatening to bring down Stephen Harper's minority Conservative government as early as next month over legislation to implement the latest federal budget.

The about-face Tuesday followed several weeks of humiliation for Liberals, who've been finding novel ways to avoid defeating the government on crucial confidence votes - including a series of votes on the very budget that they're now warning could prompt a spring election.

Liberal finance critic John McCallum contended that the policy of boycotting, abstaining on or absenting themselves from confidence votes was never intended to apply beyond the Easter parliamentary break.

"We have said that we would not bring the government down at this time before Easter but come April or May or later in the session, circumstances might have changed," McCallum said.

"Later on in the session, all options are open."

OK, that's the threat?  We might change our minds after Easter?  We'll have more options after Easter?

Here's the funny thing.  I can't find any reference to a Liberal Party statement that says Easter was some sort of magical moment when the clock would start ticking on the end of this government.

Maybe there was a statement to that effect, but then no one has ever said in recent days that the Liberal decisions to abstain from voting down the government was just a holding action until after Easter...at least not until John McCallum mentioned it today.

So the Liberals are trying to construct a new story of how they never intended to vote down the government until April or May.

Right.

Well, I suppose we can remember this newest threat and see how April and May work out.

There might well be an election when you think about it.  Bob Rae is likely to be an MP by then, and he might decide that it is time to have an election after he's been front and centre during Question Period for a few weeks. 

Stephane Dion will dutifully force an election on Bob Rae's orders, lose, resign as Liberal Party leader, and Bob Rae will take over.

Then John McCallum can say how the Liberals never intended for Stephane Dion to be more than a caretaker leader, and that the plan was always to wait until Bob Rae grew into the job.

Unless of course Michael Ignatieff becomes leader.

Then John McCallum can say how the Liberals never intended for Stephane Dion to be more than a caretaker leader, and that the plan was always to wait until Michael Ignatieff grew into the job.

Unless of course Garth Turner becomes leader.

Then John McCallum can say how the Liberals never intended for Stephane Dion to be more than a caretaker leader, and that the plan was always to wait until Garth Turner grew into the job.

Unless of course...