Where was Stephan Dion when this crisis began?

[Argus]

This is basically the sort of thing we've been saying since the debate. Dion's plan to ask people what his plan should be. But this goes a little further in pointing out the Tory government warned this was coming, and what did Dion do about it, where was his plan at the start of the election? For that matter, where IS his plan? A plan to ask people what you should do is not a plan.

Mr. Dion pledges that, "within the first 30 days of being sworn in", he will:

• Call upon the heads of Canada’s financial regulatory agencies to evaluate Canada’s regulatory framework within the context of the economic circumstances.

• Convene a meeting of "leading independent private sector economists" to get their opinion.

• Direct the Department of Finance to prepare an Economic and Fiscal Update to be ready within 21 days.

• Convene a meeting of Canada’s first ministers to talk it over with them.

• Speed up spending on some infrastructure projects to create jobs.

This is supposed to impress us? Mr. Dion plans to hold a number of meetings with people whose opinions are already easily obtainable, get the Finance Department to slap together a quickie evaluation, talk it over with the provinces and then spend money the Conservatives have already budgeted. If Mr. Dion is really so far removed from understanding what’s been unfolding over the past year, he isn’t qualified to be seeking the job of Prime Minister, a point Jack Layton made in blunt terms last week.

Why is Mr. Dion just seeking this emergency briefing now? Why wasn’t he paying attention when the government warned about it last fall, instead of blathering away over the Green Shift?

Where was Stephan Dion when the crisis began?

Edited October 8, 2008 by Argus

[Slim MacSquinty]

Thanks Argus.

Exactly what I've been saying for nearly two weeks, albeit in fumbling, semi angry way. You know I don't have great expectations for Layton, he doesn't really have much hope of running anything more than a union bake sale and the NDP has never been in power so their advisors can be expected to be less experienced and perhaps more excitable. Dion and the Liberals should have some understanding of the economy and the station of national political leader. This last two weeks running around like hysterical fools has been utterly shameful and not worthy of a long storied political party, if Dion is clued out that is one thing, but has he no advisors to keep him on a reasonable track?

[capricorn]

if Dion is clued out that is one thing, but has he no advisors to keep him on a reasonable track?

If he does, Iggy and Rae are doing their best to keep them away from him.

[August1991]

Dion and the Liberals should have some understanding of the economy and the station of national political leader. This last two weeks running around like hysterical fools has been utterly shameful and not worthy of a long storied political party, if Dion is clued out that is one thing, but has he no advisors to keep him on a reasonable track?

I don`t think that it's a a lack of economic understanding that drives Dion and the Liberals, it's raw political ambition.

When this campaign started, as far as Dion was concerned, the US credit crisis was a minor blip compared to the very real crisis of global warming. In his own mind, Dion had a true understanding of priorities. The Liberal Party was not to go down with Dion. They'll grasp on to whatever plank is floating by.

Perhaps because of my sense of humour, I am amused to watch Layton (and Dion) suddenly want the government to intervene and bail out Bay Street!

From the article linked above, I liked this quote:

"This crisis did not begin two weeks ago. It began in August 2007," Mr. Harper said yesterday, defending the government’s actions. "As the saying goes, ‘it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.’ Which is why when the rain came, Noah didn’t need to panic and he didn’t need to switch boats."

..."What the opposition proposes is to hammer any sector making money, subsidize any sector in difficulty, and throw away the solid fiscal credentials that Canada has built."

That's a thought to consider.

When the government transfers money to a sector of the economy, it must take the money from another sector. IOW, the government is taxing a successful endeavour and subsidizing a failing endeavour.

[Bryan]

Thanks Argus.

Exactly what I've been saying for nearly two weeks, albeit in fumbling, semi angry way. You know I don't have great expectations for Layton, he doesn't really have much hope of running anything more than a union bake sale and the NDP has never been in power so their advisors can be expected to be less experienced and perhaps more excitable. Dion and the Liberals should have some understanding of the economy and the station of national political leader. This last two weeks running around like hysterical fools has been utterly shameful and not worthy of a long storied political party, if Dion is clued out that is one thing, but has he no advisors to keep him on a reasonable track?

The scary thing is, most people don't understand anything about the economy either, so Dion's insane ramblings seem just as reasonable to them as anything else.

[Argus]

The scary thing is, most people don't understand anything about the economy either, so Dion's insane ramblings seem just as reasonable to them as anything else.

Yes, what's scary is that he actually thought - and turned out to be correct - that grandly announcing a "five point plan" which consisted almost entirely of talking to people and asking what to do - would convince people that he, unlike Harper "had a plan!".

Oh, the part of the plan that doesn't consist of asking people's opinions is the infrastructure spending which the Tories have already given the go ahead to and budgeted for.

But he would do it sooner!

[Vancouver King]

Where was Dion when this crisis began? Certainly not in Washington with his nose up George Bush's butt.

[capricorn]

Where was Dion when this crisis began? Certainly not in Washington with his nose up George Bush's butt.

Where was Dion? Up to his neck trying to defend his Green Shift. That consumed all his energy. Then when he realized his plan to save the planet was rejected by the voters, the Green Shift disappeared from his vocabulary. Then he said the Green Shift would not be implemented if economic conditions were not conducive. McCallum agreed. Now he has found the Green Shift again and says it would be implemented incrementally. Which is it, Mr. Dion?

That's nothing. Ignatieff further muddies the water in an interview with La Presse.

Stéphane Dion is refusing to delay his Green Shift plan if he forms a government although his deputy leader, Michael Ignatieff, says he'd consider changes to the scheme because of the difficult economic times.

“I know that the contrary has been said in the papers,” Mr. Dion said in French to reporters Thursday in Halifax.

But he said that Mr. Ignatieff had confirmed a shared view with Mr. Dion that the Green Shift plan would stimulate the economy.

On Wednesday, as Mr. Dion was defending his Green Shift plan to reporters and saying he would not delay it or change it if he became Prime Minister, Mr. Ignatieff was telling a different story to the editorial board of Montreal's La Presse newspaper.

Mr. Ignatieff said “it's possible” that Liberals would consider changing the details of the plan. He said they would hold on to the “essential elements” of the scheme but that “we need to adjust in front of unpredictable (times).”

Mr. Ignatieff cautioned, however, that the party would not abandon the plan because “Mr. Dion has based all of his career on it.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...9/BNStory/Front

The Liberals are all over the map on what they would do about the economy if they form government. Dion claims he has the best team but the team is sending out contradictory messages.

[Argus]

Where was Dion when this crisis began? Certainly not in Washington with his nose up George Bush's butt.

I really like the intelligent way you put your thoughtful messages. You've certainly convinced me.

[AngusThermopyle]

Where was Dion when this crisis began? Certainly not in Washington with his nose up George Bush's butt.

From this I take it you are implying that Harper was in Washington with his nose up George Bush's butt when this began. I didn't know that.

Could you provide a link to illustrate this please?