Carpe Liberalum

Here I am again, the discontented renegade ex-Liberal. My joy of the week is the discovery that I am not alone. For your consideration, this article from the Westmount Examiner in Montreal:

Mount Royal Liberal questions Michael Ignatieff's leadership

This article was sent to me by another Liberal friend who is also clearly not happy with the direction the Liberal Party is taking these days. And this friend has been a very loyal Liberal who once even ran for nomination as a Liberal candidate.

They are out there. Liberals who are discontented with the leadership of Baron Ig, who see him pulling the party farther and farther away from what they considered to be core Liberal values. Don't overestimate the trend - we're not talking huge numbers here. But there are some. And if the blogs in the Globe and Mail are to be believed, those alienated Liebrals are in for another shock this week. According to the rumour mill, Iggy is poised to reverse course yet again and terminate Liberal support for NDP private member's bill C-311 - targets for reducing Canada's greehouse gas emissions.

If you are hearing an odd rapping noise at this point, go open the door. It's opportunity knocking. Now is the time for the Green Party to be extending a hand to all those disenfranchised Libs. Especially if those reports are correct and Iggy distances the Party even further this week from policies fighting climate change. If that happens, my strong recommendation would be that, by the end of this week, Elizabeth May hold a press conference.

Start by highlighting some of the things Ignatieff has done that may be irritating grassroots Liberals, such as taking the leadership without a democratic vote of the grassroots, endorsing the Alberta oil sands, and giving up leadership on climate change. State that Ignatieff has abandoned the progressive, moderate, centrist roots that once made it a good party. And finally invite all Liberals who are upset with Ignatieff's leadership to come have a look at the Green Party, stressing that the Green Party shares the values they believe in, that the Liberal Party *used to* believe in. To whit:

• grassroots democracy and accountability to its membership
• progressive social and environmental policy
• responsible fiscal management (this one must be STRONGLY emphasized in order to appeal to Liberals)

Properly done, an appeal like this will shake loose at least a few unhappy Liberals as well as getting the Green Party some press attention, especially if a few of those unhappy Libs can be persuaded to go on camera and take shots at their former party.  It will also get the pudits looking more at the Liberal shift to the right and whether the Green Party really does represent a good centrist option to the Liberals. 

Carpe diem, carpe Liberalum et carpe jugulum.
Seize the day, grab the Liberal Party, and grab them by the throat.
This will be the key to the next election.