Angry in the Great White North

Are there good reasons to support the Employment Insurance legislation introduced by the Conservatives?  Sure, and those reasons are each of the unemployed workers who would benefit from the extended benefits. 

But if you listen to Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff, the only reason he's supporting this legislation is to make Jack Layton and the NDP look bad.  Really bad:

The Liberals have offered to speed passage of the Conservative government's proposed employment insurance legislation, hoping to rob the NDP of its rationale for propping up the government.

The Liberals figure that if the EI changes get swept through Parliament in short order then NDP Leader Jack Layton will run out of reasons to support the minority Conservative government.

"We don't want to give Mr. Layton any alibis," Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff told reporters yesterday.

Most bills take months to go through all the legislative stages. But the Liberals want to see this bill passed before the first week of October, when they hope to bring in a non-confidence vote to topple the Conservative government.

Where's the outrage?

Michael Ignatieff is essentially saying that he doesn't care one jot what is in that legislation.  All he cares about is taking EI off the table by whatever means is most expedient (in this case, rushing through a Conservative-designed reform package that bears no resemblance to what Michael Ignatieff had been demanding in the spring) just so he can have his confidence vote.

What is the point? 

Is Michael Ignatieff still gunning for an election in which the Liberals will start 5 or more points behind and then suffer the wrath of an electorate furious about yet another election?

Possibly, but I don't think so.

I think Michael Ignatieff and his handlers just want Jack Layton and the NDP to Cry Uncle, to support the Tories without the rationalization of a pending EI bill to justify it.

Or in Michael Ignatieff's own words, to deny Jack Layton his alibi.

It isn't enough for the Liberals to finally vote against the government, even it doesn't lead to an election.  It isn't enough for Jack Layton and the NDP to flip and support the government, not if that flip has a rationale, and not if the NDP is being given credit in some quarters for having made the right decision for Canadians.  To exorcise the ghost of Stephane Dion's disastrous run as Liberal leader, and to repair the self-inflicted damage Michael Ignatieff suffered with his own waffling and backtracking, the Liberals need to the NDP to capitulate.  Completely.  To crawl on the ground.  To say that they're afraid of an election right now. 

Like the Liberals did 79 times.

This isn't "parliament working".  This is some sort of twisted psychotherapy session for Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals.

A billion dollars in EI reform being rushed through by Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals not to help Canadians in need, but to set the circumstances for Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals to deal with their own insecurities.

Again I ask, where's the outrage?