I'm aware of Layton's comments regarding homeless deaths in Toronto.
"Deaths due to homelessness in this city took a rapid rise immediately after Paul Martin cancelled the affordable housing program, and their names stand in testimony to the neglect that has been rained on our city," Layton said.I'm concerned that the NDP's big advantage over the last few days - mostly above the sniping fray - has been given away. But for all of that, I don't think this is a gaffe... as yet. If the spin goes seriously south for the party, I'm willing to revise it; I think this one has the potential to be costly, if the media is looking for an excuse to pull Layton down. I think the statement, if we were to parse it carefully, is not quite so cut-and-dried as "Layton blames homeless deaths on Martin" as the headline claims, but if the NDP starts parsing it, they're acknowledging a gaffe. That will be the day I'll have to start putting up points.
As for the issue itself, I'm not sure what the "affordable housing program" did, so I don't think I'm well-suited to judge the cause-and-effect. Layton was on Toronto City Council, so he's likely able to better judge. And I don't think he'd wade quite this far out into the deep water if he wasn't pretty sure he could draw the logical line from one to the other. This is no crazy budget math we're talking about here... this is the issue, ahead of all others, where Layton lives. I'd be surprised if Layton or the NDP budge an inch from this - but I'll be watching.
Update: I'm already reconsidering. The quote in the Star is much more inflamitory: "I believe that when Paul cancelled affordable housing across this country it produced a dramatic rise in homelessness and death due to homelessness. I've always said I hold him responsible for that." Thanks to Kevin Brennan for the tip. I'm going to let this issue stew in the media for the rest of the day, but I'm now almost certain he's not going to get away with no points.
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