Dion vs. Dion

What a difference a couple of weeks make...

September 26, 2007: Dion fuels election talk with throne speech conditions
Firm end to Afghan mission, reintroduction of clean air bill among Liberals' demands
Last Updated: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | 2:21 PM ET
CBC News

Stephen Harper's Conservatives must make major changes to the upcoming throne speech or the opposition Liberals will vote against it, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion warned Wednesday, adding fuel to speculation there could be a fall federal election.

"This hidden agenda WILL BE STOPPED", Dion said after a meeting with Quebec caucus members in Montreal.

He said the Tories would scrap the gun registry and anti-greenhouse gas initiatives the moment they gained a majority - a result Dion contended would allow them to shape a "right-wing" Canadian government modelled after the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush.

"They cannot do it today because they have an Official Opposition facing them," Dion said.

And now contrast with this week...

October 17, 2007: 'Canadians don't want another election right now': Dion
Liberal leader says he won't make the government fall on its throne speech
Last Updated: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 | 6:21 PM ET
CBC News

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion says he will not force an election over the speech from the throne, adding that he wants to make Parliament work.

"The throne speech we heard, with all of its weaknesses, has to be assessed in light of the fact that Canadians don't want another election right now," Dion told the House of Commons on Wednesday. "They want Parliament to do its job."

...

Instead, Dion said, he would introduce amendments to the speech. If those are rejected, the party would abstain, allowing the throne speech to pass.

Let's compare...

"[Harper] must make major changes to the upcoming throne speech or the opposition Liberals will vote against it"

VS.

"the party would abstain, allowing the throne speech to pass"

Huh?

Before the Speech, Dion said, "This hidden agenda WILL BE STOPPED"

After the Speech, Dion said, "The throne speech we heard, with all of its weaknesses, has to be assessed in light of the fact that Canadians don't want another election right now"

Again, I say "Huh?" What happened during those short three weeks? Before, Dion said that he would stop Mr. Harper's agenda... now, he says that Canadians don't want an election, therefore, his members will abstain from voting... whereas before, he said that he was determined to "stop this 'hidden agenda'".

Uh huh... and people wonder why we keep saying "Stephane Dion is Not a Leader"... Paul Martin just dithered on every decision. This guy? He flip-flops every other week. People accused Mr. Martin of governing based on the poll of the day. Mr. Dion, he says one thing, waits for the next poll, and then reveres himself.

Sorta like the whole Marc Garneau affair... one week, he's out, two weeks later, he's back in.

Or the Jamie Carroll affair... on Friday, he supports him... by Monday, Jamie is toasted. (and there's no way he'd be tossed without Dion's okay)

So, let's think about this long and hard... in the next election, he'll roll out their platform... and once he's been elected, who's to say he won't turn around and do the exact opposite of what he promised? I mean, we know Liberals are known for that, the whole "we will scrap the GST" thing and all.

Then there's Kyoto... it went from being the most important issue of our time, to being abandoned in the Throne Speech, with Dion's blessing by abstaintion.

But, not to worry... Dion told us his Party will abstain on the Throne Speech this week, which means they'll likely vote against it actually comes time to vote...

I stand by the nickname I gave him from the get-go... Flipper.

(image from The Rick Mercer Report's Photo Challenge)

And people wonder why I'm fearful of his becoming our Prime Minister...