09.26.2012 10:17 PM

Mike McNair? (updated)

Seriously? The author of the Green Shift?

Trudeau’s doomed.

UPDATE: One of McNair’s friends has now been in touch to gently protest the minuscule tongue-in-cheek post, above.  The suggestion that the Cons and the Dippers will attempt to associate Trudeau (and all leadership contenders) with past perceived Grit misdeeds isn’t particularly news, or in any way novel.  That’s what they do.  It’s also the subject of my Sunday Sun column.  As to McNair, I’m sure he’s a nice fellow, and I wish him the very best that politics has to offer.

9 Comments

  1. !o! says:

    I’m not too sure one way or another whether he’s doomed or not, but the idea of taxing inefficiencies, and environmental fiscal conservatism were being seriously discussed in inner Reform circles throughout the late 90s at least. Preston Manning was really big on it because a lot of their core constituency was really big on it at the time.

    It all depends on how it’s pitched.

    • !o! says:

      They were also actively attempting to co-opt the Greens (with some success) at the time as well– this is the when the economic philosophy of the GPC took a swing to the right– a lot of people were in both circles at the time.

      • bluegreenblogger says:

        lol, yep, a lot of us were in both circles. The Green Shift was GPC policy, and the central plank in the platform from 2004 onwards. When the Liberal Party adopted it, it validated the very existence of the Green Party for a lot of Greens not totally enchanted with EMay. The theory was that the GPC would never actually elect people, but the more electoral heft they gained, the more likely it was that some of their good policy would be co-opted by one party or another that could actually implement the policy, and the Green shift was the most important thing that could be co-opted. And FYI, the green shift was not a shift to the right for the GPC. I was amazed when I joined the party when I met all kinds of strange characters with long hair and beads, and many strange ideas but they were all arguing COGENTLY about taxation policy. Just goes to show that your stereotypes often do not work in the real world. Sometimes good policy is neither left nor right, it is just the smart thing to do. Once upon a time the GPC was filled with people who once called themselves `conservative`. That is no longer the case of course, and the stereotypes have been entrenched as the actuality.

  2. billg says:

    Sucks to be Marc Garneau right now.

    • MississaugaLibPeter says:

      Iggy was the shoo-in many years ago.

      Marc Garneau is fine.

      This is not going to be a Paul Martin coronation.

      At this point in time, I would much more prefer MG in a debate with SH and TM than I would JT2. JT2 may win me over over time, but presently, his HOC language and theatrics do nor resonate with rural and Western Canada.

      Yes, JT2 has a great guy organizing his show in B.C., but like another JT (John Turner) who was the next great thing, when he even ran in Vancouver, the Liberals are almost dead west of Manitoba, and JT2, and the Liberal Party, have yet to apologize for the finger many years ago!

  3. Cromwell says:

    “I wish him the very best that politics has to offer.”

    Poor sod.

  4. Mom says:

    I still think that the “Green Shift” is the way of the future and one of the more progressive Liberal policy documents in recent years. I would love to see Trudeau embrace this in concert with young NDP’ers like Nathan Cullen. You would have a lot of youth behind them!

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