Prime Minister Ignatieff? So says the National Post

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***Ignatieff would be PM in a Liberal-led coalition

Posted: November 30, 2008, 3:30 PM by Shereen Dindar
Full Comment, John Ivison, canada, Canadian, Canadian politics

Updated at 11:09 p.m. ET

By John Ivison

Michael Ignatieff will become Prime Minister in a Liberal-led coalition government if the opposition parties succeed in bringing down the
Conservatives in a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons next week and if the Governor-General deems it to be a viable alternative, sources said late last night.

Mr. Ignatieff met with lame duck Liberal leader, Stéphane Dion, and leadership candidates Bob Rae and Dominic LeBlanc in Toronto last night and hammered out a deal that would see Mr. Dion and Mr. Rae step aside, with the latter named to a senior post, likely Foreign Affairs Minister.

Earlier, Mr. Dion is understood to have struck a deal with NDP leader Jack Layton in which the New Democrats would get around a quarter of the seats around the Cabinet table, if the coalition bid to unseat the Conservatives is successful. The deal would have a guaranteed two and a half year lifespan.

It is understood that Mr. Ignatieff was reluctant to sign on unless he was named interim leader because it would leave Mr. Dion, who was recently rejected by the Canadian electorate, as leader.

Prior to the deal being struck, sources close to Mr. Ignatieff said he was unlikely to support the deal because of concerns that a coalition government led by Mr. Dion would be a “poisoned chalice” for the next leader.

Mr. Ignatieff has the support of an overwhelming number of Liberal MPs -- more than 50 of the 77 member caucus - so his reluctance would likely have doomed the bid by the opposition parties. Those concerns were eased by the prospect of Mr. Ignatieff becoming Prime Minister.

It is understood that the plan will be presented to the Liberal caucus Monday at 1 p.m.***

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/11/30/john-ivison-coalition-success-may-ride-on-ignatieff-and-he-isn-t-game.aspx

[Clintonista2]

1. Sounds good to me!

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2. Me too! I can't believe how excited I am about this possible coalition. I really hope it happens. I

do worry about the reaction of the Canadian public. I wonder what opinion polls will say?

[Clintonista2]

3. I am also concerned about the reaction. Get ready for a massive PR campaign on both sides

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4. I felt good about it all until today with the leaking of that tape. Conservative TV (aka CTV) was

hyping it up all day and working hard to help out Harper. I do wish Layton was more careful with his choice of words (I think we had a discussion here during the election about our views of him), but at the same time the Conservatives are real slimy for listening in and recording the meeting. Also, I never really payed attention to him before but I must say I was very impressed with NDP MP Thomas Mulcair during the press conference this evening.

[Clintonista2]

5. Great interview with Brian Topp on the public opinion factor:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081130.WTopp30/BNStory/Front

Adam Radwanski: How prepared are you for the public relations offensive that everyone is expecting from the Conservatives this week?

Brian Topp: We'll see. I'd say, judging (for example) from Saturday's Globe, that their campaign isn't off to a good start.

Their vote didn't grow in the last election. That suggests they aren't resonating well outside of their base. I think that voters for other parties might welcome seeing their back - and that their current shrill, over-the-top messaging isn't going to work better with most folks than their much more carefully thought-through stuff did during the campaign.

Adam Radwanski: How much does it matter one way or the other how this plays out in the media or in public opinion polls over the next week? Would a backlash be enough to deter a change of government, or would it just put the onus on that new government to prove its worth?

Brian Topp: What the public thinks always matters. I just think at the end of the day that a change of government would be welcomed by the large majority of Canadians who voted for one in the last election - and that an improvised Conservative information blitz aimed at their base won't change this.

Adam Radwanski: Will there be a joint effort by the three opposition parties to counter that blitz?

Brian Topp: That depends on events in coming days.

Adam Radwanski: What kind of reaction is the NDP getting from its membership right now? Are efforts needed to convince some New Democrats that it's worth cooperating with the Liberals?

Brian Topp: We like to debate things in our party, and the events of this week will be talked about for a long time no matter what ultimately happens. But I suspect that replacing a Conservative government with something (hopefully) better from our perspective would be widely welcomed in our party, were it to occur.

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6. Thanks for the info. I'm still in a state of disbelief over the left actually working together

rather than squabbling.

[daleo]

7. I wouldn't trust the National Post

They are well into Harper's back pocket. The CBC or Globe and Mail are preferable.