Jack Layton can't seem to catch a break with his own band of merry men and women. Layton who has had to deal with Union czar Buzz Hargrove crossing the east recommending Liberals and/or Bloc candidates for Monday's vote, now has to deal with a mixed message from the flat lands.
Saskatchewan premier Lorne Calvert has suggested that a Conservative win may actually be good news for his province! Calvert an NDP premier by the way, has his eyes on a more equitable deal for oil and gas revenues that are leaving the province these days. The current problem it seems is that as oil and gas revenues increase, the equalization monies decrease which effectively leaves the province in a status quo situation.
Calvert foresees a better opportunity to keep more of the cash at home with a Stephen Harper government, as equalization issues are to be a main focus of the Conservatives agenda. With Calvert suggesting that it's not necessarily a Conservative government may not be that bad thing for his province, one wonders what the damage control team at Layton central might be thinking.
It's quite a change in his thinking from the start of the campaign, then a much more in line Calvert, said that Saskatchewan should elect as many NDP MP's as possible in order to wield more influence in Ottawa.
Gone now is that call for an NDP wave of MP's to fight the good fight, instead it seems that Saskatchewan having read the latest poll figures, gather it might be better to make sure that the right horse gets the bet as the finish line gets close.
Principles may be one thing, pragmatism though seems to be ruling the day on the prairies.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment