Angry in the Great White North

The Liberal Party critics list is out, and I've reproduced it here:

Liberal Opposition Critics
Michael Ignatieff - Intergovernmental Affairs
John McCallum - Finance
Bob Rae - Foreign Affairs
Denis Coderre - Defence and Quebec Lieutenant
David McGuinty - Environment & Energy
Carolyn Bennett - Health
Marc Garneau - Industry, Science & Technology
Mark Holland - Public Safety & National Security
Geoff Regan - Natural Resources
Dominic LeBlanc - Justice and Attorney-General
Scott Brison - International Trade
Martha Hall Findlay - Public Works and Government Services
Todd Russell - Indian Affairs
Larry Bagnell - Arctic Issues & Northern Development
Joe Volpe - Transport
Gerard Kennedy - Infrastructure, Communities and Cities
Maurizio Bevilacqua - Citizenship & Immigration
Judy Sgro - Veterans Affairs, Seniors & Pensions
Yasmin Ratansi - National Revenue
Gerry Byrne - Fisheries & Oceans
Jean-Claude D'Amours - Atlantic Gateway and Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Pablo Rodriguez - Canadian Heritage & Official Languages
Maria Minna - Labour
Dan McTeague - Treasury Board, Consumer Affairs and Consular Affairs
Mike Savage - Human Resources & Skills Development
Anita Neville - Status of Women
Wayne Easter - Agriculture, Agri-food and Canadian Wheat Board
Sukh Dhaliwal - Asia-Pacific Gateway & Western Economic Development
Ruby Dhalla - Youth & Multiculturalism
Keith Martin - Amateur Sport, Health Promotion and the Vancouver Olympics
Alexandra Mendes - Economic Development Agency for Regions of Quebec
Glen Pearson - International Cooperation
Raymonde Folco - La Francophonie
Ken Dryden - National Outreach Advisor, Working Families & Poverty
                      Special Liason, National Fundraising

Yup, Stephane Dion is gone.

The author of the clarity act is not Intergovernmental Affairs critic.  Instead, Michael Ignatieff is doing that job himself.

Pablo Rodriguez is critic for Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, which the news release states recognizes "the importance of cultural industries.in strengthening our national unity."

The Liberal Party's greenest leader who offered the Green Shift to Canadians in order to save the planet is not environmental critic.  That job goes to David McGuinty of Ontario.

I'd say it was a fair chance that Stephane Dion turned down a position as critic instead of not being offered a position.  But I strongly suspect that if Stephane Dion was offered a critic's post, it wasn't in intergovernmental affairs or the environment.  It would have been in something completely unconnected to either, something harmless and unimportant.  I would guess Transport, since it was given to Joe Volpe, who has never held a cabinet post related to transportation (though it was his critic post under Stephane Dion), suggesting that Michael Ignatieff had no strong feelings with regards to who had this critic's post, and is using it as a generic reward of little importance.

Stephane Dion would have turned Transport down, according to my theory, quite possibly to Michael Ignatieff's relief.  Immediately, that critic's post reverted back to Joe Volpe.

Maybe it was a different critic post that was offered.  Or, as some no doubt suspect, Stephane Dion was not offered anything whatsoever.

There is the possibility that Stephane Dion wanted no post at all, and made that clear before Michael Ingatieff started compiling his list, but that seems odd to me, given Stephane Dion's passion for the environment.  You'd think that if he really thought Canada's 2% contribution to greenhouse gas emissions was going to roast the planet, he'd fight to keep a hand in there.

And not just because of his own feelings on the issue, but because of the alliance he built with the Green Party.

Stephane Dion's banishment (willing or otherwise) from the centre of Liberal Party power and decision making puts the Green Party under Elizabeth May back on the farthest fringes of Canadian political relevance.  I'm speculating here, but I would think that any information flowing between the Liberal Party and the Green Party went through Stephane Dion.  I think that if Elizabeth May had an advocate inside the Liberal Party, either for adopting Green Party policies or for making future formal electoral alliances or for arranging for Elizabeth May to be appointed to the Senate, that advocate was Stephane Dion.  Stephane Dion would be the only Liberal proposing a strategy of presenting a Liberal platform skewed heavily to the green in order to scoop up votes from Green Party supporters (with the approval of Elizabeth May, much to the consternation of Green Party candidates).

Stephane Dion seems to be out.  Way out.  Unseen and unheard.  And with him goes Elizabeth May and the Green Party.

Heck, I'd be surprised if Michael Ignatieff supported having Elizabeth May in the next leaders debate.  That was a Dion thing.  The Liberals aren't doing that anymore.

Update: Some of the comments make note that Ralph Goodale is not on the list.  That's because Ralph Goodale is House Leader, which is not a critic position:

Yesterday, [Michael Ignatieff] announced that senior caucus officers, including House Leader Ralph Goodale, deputy House leader Marlene Jennings and Chief Opposition Whip Rodger Cuzner, will remain in their posts.

Hope that helps.

The Official Liberal Party Line (from an unnamed Liberal source): Apparently, Michael Ignatieff had several options for Stephane Dion, but Stephane Dion did not want any role in the shadow cabinet .

So if that's true, Stephane Dion's passion for a green Canada seems to have disappeared along with his chance of ever becoming prime minister.   But even if it this story paints Stephane Dion in a poor light, it makes Michael Ignatieff look generous.  Which might explain why this particular leak was allowed to happen.