The positive tone of the “cordial” meeting between the two leaders last Friday, after which Mr. Layton said his suggestions “were received and well understood”, inevitably raised hackles among some NDP supporters. By Sunday, the leader was adopting a firmer tone but was still not saying a repeal of further corporate tax cuts was a pre-condition for support.
But the NDP’s greatest enemy is not the Liberal Party, it’s irrelevancy. If Mr. Layton can prove to his own base that he has made life a little better for some of Canada’s poorest and most vulnerable seniors, he will be able to claim victory and support the budget.
This would have the added benefit of avoiding an election in which his party will have to run hard just to stand still. And it would forestall the need for Mr. Layton to endure a gruelling 36 day leader’s tour while he is still recovering from prostate cancer.
For Mr. Harper, it’s a win-win scenario. If Mr. Layton supports the budget, he will remain Prime Minister for another 12 months. If the NDP leader decides not to, there will be an election for which the Prime Minister can blame the massed ranks of the “Liberal-NDP-Bloc” coalition. “The perfect outcome,” as one senior Tory put it.
Keywords: doctors, seniors
