It Works On So Many Levels

While Monday's federal budget has indiscriminately set people's knickers in a twist (what budget pleases everyone - even the ones with something for everyone?), I've already begun to see transpire what I anticipated from the beginning. It was a minority budget with political impetus. But this one was delivered with just a little more confidence in its substance than merely from a government desperately clinging to power.

This was delivered not with desperation but with aspiration. It was a strategically designed document, underscored and preluded with a number of Conservative Party positional adjustments over the past several months; each one, including the climate issue, gradually nudging the other parties off the pedestal of sole ownership and advocacy.

In a minority government, one can always expect indiscreet spending. But beneficiaries of this budget were specifically targeted to, not only woo approval and support from the electorate but, more importantly, leave the opposition reeling as they frantically re-script their ad-libbed howls of protest and, best of all... divide and conquer.

Its seeds are already yielding desired results.

I heard the announcement today on CFRA in my car early this afternoon that Stephane Dion is further burning his bridges within caucus by booting MP Joe Comuzzi for breaking ranks and doing the only thing he could do for his constituents, who will but benefit from this national fiscal initiative.

"It's for a single issue that's of absolute critical importance to all the people in Thunder Bay and northwestern Ontario, and that's the cancer research centre ... and hopefully it's going to be funded in this budget," he told CTV Newsnet's Mike Duffy Live on Tuesday.

The centre would bring 300 jobs to the struggling city on the shores of Lake Superior. "To vote against it, every citizen in Thunder Bay would be tremendously upset with me," Comuzzi said.

It's only a matter of hours before we see the whip come out to keep the troops in place for the upcoming vote, which - while a "given" to pass with Bloc support - is more Dion's narcissistic statement to, not only the House, but the government and (pathetically) to himself, that he's in charge. It's more important for him to flex his will to promote his perception of control, despite his potential surprise at what the budget delivered. His headstrong position will naturally preclude any Quebec Liberal MP's from supporting something that their province has been long waiting for. So, before them: a career choice more imminent than they had anticipated. Not all of them are at the end of their political road with nothing to lose. Many tonight, I'm sure, envy the luxurious position Joe Comuzzi is now in.

In the process, Jean Charest is now charged with finessing the biggest electoral surge of his life if he's to continue as premier of Quebec. Stemming the separatist campaign ebb will, perceptually, represent the lack of desire that Quebecers share to revisit sovereignty. Mario Dumont's ADQ, on the other hand, will be getting a good look and, as a federalist party, will present a much safer and more conservative option for Quebecers in the future.

As for the NDP, they'll always say the budget doesn't go far enough for working families. But even they, this time around, are having difficulty convincing themselves that it's a bad budget.

And, while the opposition parties are now regrouping from this week's events, the dance resumes to new music. The Clean Air talks, as I heard this afternoon, have been called off due to another political impass over unrealistic Kyoto targets.

Meanwhile, mild mannered opposition leader Stephane Dion slips into a centre-block alcove and struggles with his new tights and cape as he prepares to launch his "own" get-tough-on-crime campaign to claim IT as his own.

But as he emerges from the parliamentary bowels, his trusty sidekick, Iggy, notices that a part of his costume is on backwards and cries out, "Your CODPIECE!!!!!"

An obliviously confident hero replies, "Not now! Beside right next! Hi dunt like fish, hanywayz!"

..... as he stumbles off into his own sunset.

As the Prime Minister, his cabinet and caucus continue about their evil scheme to keep getting things done for Canadians............ it keeps working on so many levels.