Anonymous Liberals gripe about Iggy’s gamble
Pundits and MPs on both sides of the house suggest that the recent showdown-and subsequent resolution-between the PM and opposition leader Michael Ignatieff over EI may have hurt the Liberal’s credibility. There’s a limited number of times that Harper and Ignatieff can take their brinkmanship to the edge and maintain authority, explained pollster Nik Nanos. “Michael Ignatieff should now learn that if you’re going to point the gun, you need to be prepared to pull the trigger,” said a top Liberal in an interview with The Hill Times.
Still, others defend the compromise, praising Harper and Ignatieff for their ability to work together. “I think this helped Canadians,” said Ontario Liberal MP David McGuinty. “It’s not about what helped or hurt our party, it helped Canadians because they don’t want an election and we’re showing by conduct, our leader is showing by conduct that were making every effort we can to make this institution work for them.” A Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey released last week reported that only 14 per cent of Canadians want an election.