When Stephen Harper started the libel suit over the allegedly libelous statements made by Stephane Dion, Michael Ignatieff, and Ralph Goodale in connection to the Chuck Cadman affair (to wit, that Stephen Harper knew of the commission of a criminal act), the Liberal Party itself was fourth on the list of defendants.

But that was the notice of intent.  Today the actual suit has been filed in court, and there has been a change.  Dion, ignatieff, and Goodale are no longer being sued, just the Liberal Party and the unnamed individuals who maintain the Liberal Party website:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has dropped a libel suit against three Liberal MPs but is proceeding with one against the Liberal Party of Canada, making it the first time a sitting prime minister has sued the opposition for libel.

The defamation suit concerns bribery allegations published on the Liberal Party's website concerning the Chuck Cadman affair.

The suit is claiming up to $2.5 million in damages for Harper.

A court document obtained by The Canadian Press reveals Harper's lawyers are seeking $1 million in general damages, $1 million in aggravated damages and $500,000 in punitive damages, along with legal costs.

Stay on target!  Stay on target!

Why the shift?  I don't know myself, but I think that Liberal supporters who are claiming that this shows that the Conservatives think they have a weak case are off target.  I'm guessing that targeting the MPs would be a pointless waste of legal and financial ammunition.  Not because the suit might be lost (though the MPs would make a case for parliamentary privilege that would cloud the issue) but because it is possible, even likely, that their legal bills would be picked up by Parliament.

MPs who are sued can have their legal bills paid for by Parliament.

As such, the Conservative Party would be spending its own money (not taxpayer's money) to pursue the suit, while the Liberals would be doing the opposite -- spending taxpayers' money and not party funds.

Indeed, the Liberals could even make a point of that, arguing that the Conservative lawsuit was costing Canadians hundreds of thousands of dollars, and in a perverse way, they'd be right.

If they aren't paying their own bills, the MPs originally named in the intent to file would not be financially motivated to sort the issue out.  For political reasons, they might indeed allow things to drag along, spending even more of our money in the process.

So it would be the taxpayer who would be feeling the pain, not these MPs.  That would be hitting the wrong target.

So the suit is dropped -- except against the Liberal Party itself.  The Liberal Party can't use parliamentary funds to defend itself.  That money has to come from the party coffers, and those coffers are hardly overflowing with cash right now.  Quite the opposite, in fact.

Stay on target!  Stay on target!

So by targeting only the Liberal Party, the Conservatives can focus their time, energy, and money, on one target.  But more importantly, the Liberals will be forced to spend their own money, and they are denied the chance to accuse Stephen Harper of causing large amounts of taxpayers' money to be spent.

And in short order, we might just see the Liberal Party go Boom!

Search for more opinions from Canadian bloggers on these related keywords
 Stephen Harper  Stephane Dion  Michael Ignatieff  Ralph Goodale  Liberal Party  Conservative Party  Chuck Cadman  libel 

Sphere presents related news articles and blog posts
Sphere It!