Revolutionary Moderation

CFL News



Why is the media trying to make such a stink about Paul Martin meeting with Premiers over the Grey Cup weekend in Regina?



Here's the headline of the CBC online story: Martin criticized for planning First Ministers get-together at Grey Cup. The only criticism in the story comes from Stephen Harper, who is clearly practicing up for the day Martin takes the big chair, come November or February or any time in between. The Harper complaint properly comes in paragraph seven of nine, and paragraph eight has the Prime Minister responding with, esentially, "What's the big f'n deal?"



How about Canoe (essentially, the Sun Media chain)? Martin acting like PM already. And again, the only criticism comes from Harper, and again, the PM and his spokespeople have no word of complaint.



There's a certain element of the media that thinks it can sell newspapers and make the next election closer (selling more newspapers again) by beginning to pull Martin down now. But here's the thing: the PM-in-waiting is meeting with the Premiers, of his own volition, to talk out some issues that he needs to deal with come his ascention. How could this possibly be a bad thing? Yes, he's not yet the Prime Minister. But he's going to be, give or take an actuarial percentage. Would the Calgary Sun be happier if he walks into the PMO cold, and says, "Now what do I do?" Would Stephen Harper be happier if Martin never met with the Premiers at all, and started passing laws without any consideration for the regional interests that Harper likes to talk up?



Give me a break. Chr�tien knows this is a responsible course of action, however much he and Martin may not care for one another. Is there something in the job description of the Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition that says he must be intentionally obtuse? If he tries to score points on this crap, he's going to get ignored on more serious issues.