The Sound of One Man Clapping

Remember back in the winter of 2001, when the Liberals were jacked about taking over the legislature to the point that they couldn't keep up their opposition duties anymore? Gordon Campbell ordered his caucus to stop asking questions during Question Period and the Liberals refused to debate what was left of the NDP's legislative agenda. It was like watching a bunch of spoiled brats on Xmas Eve bolting for bed early with the expectation of a huge payoff from Santa.

After Campbell and Co. successfully bullsh*tted the electorate to a 77 seat majority, the Liberals retained their contempt for parliamentary tradition, deciding that they didn't need an Official Opposition to hold them accountable. I'm sure on the days Joy MacPhail wasn't in the house, Gordo must have been getting off at being able to sneer across the room at Jenny Kwan, reliving the glory days when she was the only COPE Councillor while he was Mayor at Vancouver City Hall. Nothing like a strong whiff of arrogance (and some really stiff martinis) to get through your midlife crisis.

3 months to the election, and the Lieberals show no signs of relinquishing their contempt for real debate. Question Period has been cut in half, and outside of a jumbo-sized super sweet slush that would give an entire grade 6 class diabetes., the Liberals have no intention of trying to pass the budget, lest the NDP get a chance to show their faces and warn us not to "Believe BC" (tm).

The problem for the Liberals is that the longer they go on talking in a vacuum, the more people will realize just how much they suck.