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Martin hasn't seized the day
Health of Liberal Party was no better under Jean Chrétien

by Angelo Persichilli
THE HILL TIMES 

After the last federal election that brought the Liberal government down to a minority, I was convinced, contrary to what many were saying, that Prime Minister Paul Martin did not have to beg the opposition parties to implement his agenda. What he had to do was unify the Liberal Party, make peace with the bureaucracy, and have a sound agenda to push through Parliament.

At that point Mr. Martin did not really need to deal with the opposition. With the backing of the party and bureaucrats, and armed with an agenda Canadians want to see realized, the opposition parties would have no choice but to support him.

But now I have to admit that Mr. Martin has decided to go in a different direction and put the future of his minority government in the hands of the opposition ­ which is like asking the wolf to take care of a lamb.

Let's start with the agenda Mr. Martin plans to sell to Canadians on Oct. 4, the day the Parliament reconvenes.

He has put all the eggs in one basket. His big priority is fixing medicare. This might sound wise, and maybe it is. But, his health care agenda has already been challenged at every turn by the provincial premiers. His proposal to solve the impasse might be good, but the agenda has already been set by the premiers. At the next federal-provincial meeting, it won't be Mr. Martin's agenda on the table, but the one put forward by the premiers.

Therefore, if he wants his agenda to prevail, he will have to turn down the one presented by the premiers. And this is not the right way to start a new era of federal-provincial relations.

At the present time he is back where Jean Chrétien was only a few short months ago ­ Ottawa battling it out against the premiers. Making matters worse is that Mr. Martin can't even count on the support of the Liberal premiers of the two most powerful provinces, Ontario and Québec.

In fact, Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty seems to be leading the pack in pushing the pharmcare plan against the wishes of the Martin government which has been very cool to the idea.

As for Mr. Martin's relationship with the bureaucracy, it doesn't look as if the PMO has taken any steps to try to sooth the ruffle developed immediately after the December swearing-in ceremony. And, keeping Reg Alcock at the helm of Treasury Board in the Cabinet shuffle last month was interpreted, rightly or wrongly, as a slap in the face for the country's top mandarins.

Turning to the health of the Liberal Party, the recent staff shuffle in the Prime Minister's Office showed that the present leadership doesn't believe there are any unity problems to deal with after the last federal election. They might be right, but it takes a few random conversations with Liberals throughout Canada, strategists, rank-and-file organizers, and MPs to realize that the situation within the Liberal Party is no better today than it was during Jean Chrétien's tenure.

The shuffle within the PMO last week is a clear sign that the iron fist will be used against dissenters. This means that Hill journalists will be busy again reporting what went on during weekly closed door caucus meetings. I am pretty sure "Mr. Unnamed Source" will be the most interviewed politician on the Hill when Parliament resumes this fall.

The Italian writer Tomasi di Lampedusa wrote in The leopard, "change everything, if you want to leave everything the way it is." His words should give Mr. Martin's inner circle pause.

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