Ignatieff Missed the Boat --- Again

When Stephen Harper went off the deep end and shut down Parliament for 63 days, Ignatieff should have immediately swung into action and clobbered him in the news media.

But Ignatieff was in the south of France ensconced in the family country home. He came back only a week later.

Had he come back right away, Ignatieff could have scored political points. The news media were waiting for him with open mikes.

Nothing wrong with going on holidays. Harper does it too.

But when something important happens back home, you come back – especially when you’ve got the label for “just visiting” Canada.

Sending e-mails to newspapers back home from the south of France doesn’t cut it. Nor does entrusting MP Marc Garneau to do the job for you. Garneau was great in space, but energy is not his strong suit.

Finally a week-and-a-half later Ignatieff arrives, ready to play catch up. The decision comes down: we buy advertising time on television and radio. Not a bad idea, but it’s a bit late and a lot more expensive than taking advantage of interview requests a week earlier.

Nobody ever said the Ignatieff Liberals know how to do it.

So Ignatieff heads off on a cross country tour of Canadian universities. Nothing wrong with that. Young people have a right to see him too. However, the campus may not be where the votes are.

But that’s where Ignatieff, the erudite, academic, feels most comfortable, so that’s where he goes.

So where is Peter Donolo, who was Jean Chrétien’s image man? He is supposed to be advising Ignatieff. There are times when Liberals wish they had Denis Coderre back again.