Angry in the Great White North

Few politicians out-and-out lie.  A broken promise is not usually a lie, for example.  Most politicians make promises that they intend to keep, but then realize that circumstances prevent them from following through.  A politician who does it frequently should suffer for it, as should a politician who makes a promise that ought to have be immediately recognized as unrealistic. 

But being a victim of changing circumstances does not make one a liar.  Nor does a lapse in common sense.

A liar, on the other hand, says one thing while believing the opposite to be true. It is not an evolution in thinking, or a recognition of changing circumstances.  It is simply lying.

Thanks to Dan Cook, we are faced with chair-squirming evidence that Michael Ignatieff lies:

December 1, 2008: "I support the [coalition] accord because it's fiscally responsible, it provides responsible economic leadership in tough times and it also conserves the basic principles of national unity, equality, that our party has always believed in." -- Liberal leadership candidate Michael Ignatieff

May 10, 2009: "There was also a question concerning the legitimacy of the coalition that troubled me." And: "I felt it was very difficult to guarantee the necessary political stability during a time of crisis with three partners in a formal coalition," he said. "That was my first doubt. I couldn't guarantee the long-term stability of the coalition under the circumstances." -- Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff

In his May 10 statement, Michael Ignatieff seems to be saying he always had doubts.  Let's take him at his word.  But if that's true, why would he have said the things he said on December 1? 

Indeed, the legitimacy question seems to reveal another lie.

On December 1, Michael Ignatieff said Stephane Dion was rightfully positioned to be the prime minister:

"We are at one, the three of us [Bob Rae, Dominic LeBlanc, Michael Ignatieff], that the only person that can lead the country is the duly elected leader of the party, Mr. Stephane Dion."

On May 10, Michael Ignatieff says Stephane Dion never had the legitimacy to claim to be prime minister:

In Montreal on Sunday to promote his most recent book, the federal Liberal Leader also said the coalition came at a time when the party's right to govern would have been called into question after one of the worst election results in its history.

The party lost 19 seats and captured just 26 per cent of the vote in last October's federal election.

"There was also a question concerning the legitimacy of the coalition that troubled me."

So Michael Ignatieff had questions concerning the legitimacy and stability of the coalition, and despite these questions, he stated unequivocally that the coalition was legitimate and stable.

Saying one thing while believing something else to be true is the definition of lying.

Maybe these doubts didn't surface until December 2.  Michael Ignatieff owes it us to explain why we shouldn't think he is a liar.

Churlish Steve: Of course, I'm probably being ungrateful.  Michael Ignatieff has confirmed what Stephen Harper had been saying at the time.  The coalition was illegitimate.  The Bloc Quebecois was as much a partner as the NDP.  The unity of the country was at stake when Stephen Harper prorogued parliament.

Maybe Michael Ignatieff can make it clear that Stephen Harper did the right thing when he saved the country from Stephane Dion's coalition with Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe.  By proroguing parliament, Stephen Harper bought the time needed for the coalition to self-destruct before it formed the government (and then self-destructed anyway).  As a bonus to Michael Ignatieff, it also had the side-effect of setting up the conditions for a successful coup that put a end to Stephane Dion's hapless leadership once and for all, and allowed Michael Ignatieff to take over as Liberal Party leader without actually having to earn a single vote.