Angry in the Great White North

Michael Ignatieff is demanding no actual changes to the Conservative budget.  He just wants reports:

The Liberal party will only support the minority Conservative government's federal budget if Prime Minister Stephen Harper agrees to an amendment calling for a "clear marker" of regular updates to Parliament on the impact of economic stimulus projects, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said Wednesday.

I think the Conservatives ought to accept this amendment.  In principle, it's a good idea to keep a check on government action.  But speaking as a Conservative, I'm seeing these reports as tests of Michael Ignatieff.

By supporting the budget, Michael Ignatieff is passing on an opportunity to take down the Conservative government and in doing so, trigger an election or enter into a coalition with the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois.  Many Liberals are not happy.

Patience, says Michael Ignatieff.  The time is not quite right.

And with each of these reports, Michael Ignatieff will have an opportunity to declare non-confidence in the government. 

If the polls aren't good for the Liberals, or more likely, the Liberal Party is still in no shape to fight an election (the coalition is now dead), then Michael Ignatieff will be forced to deem the status report acceptable, regardless of the content.

What will he say?

Patience, Michael Ignatieff will say.  The time is not quite right.

Patience today.  Patience when the first report is delivered.  Then again when the second report comes by.  And the third too?

Michael Ignatieff has now constructed a sequence of tests that test him more than they test Conservatives.  I don't think he has thought this through. 

The economy will be under constant scrutiny by the media.  No one is going to notice the date of the report coming up and say, "Oh yeah, we're in a recession.  Gee, I forgot!"  These reports aren't putting the spotlight on the Conservatives.  The spotlight will be on Michael Ignatieff and the success, or failure, of his effort to revitalize the Liberal Party.

No one is going to ask questions about the employment numbers or infrastructure spending.  Those questions are going to be asked continually.  The question asked when the report comes due is whether the Liberal Party is ready to fight an election, or is Michael ignatieff going to have to come up with an excuse to deem the report acceptable.

I doubt the Liberal Party will be in great shape six months from now.  That means two of these reports, and two more times Michael Ignatieff is going to come up to a line of his own making, and then step back.

Patience, Michael Ignatieff will say.  The time is not quite right.

George Jackson, a member of the Black Panthers, said of patience: "Patience has its limits. Take it too far, and it's cowardice."

Michael Ignatieff will have to keep on eye on members of his Liberal Party.  Plenty of them think that he has already crossed the line from patience into cowardice.  Thanks to his own report amendment, he risks having that crowd growing larger and larger at regular intervals.

Bonus! When Stephane Dion was Liberal Party leader, Stephen Harper had to declare multiple confidence votes in order to force Stephane Dion to step up or scurry away.  Michael Ignatieff has set it up all by himself.  How helpful is that?