Currently the Liberal party of Canada is led by as lame a duck as there is in politics, Stephan Dion. This may not be due to his actual abilities as a politician and a leader, rather It is conceivable that his difficulties are the result of the scandals he inherited from departing Prime Ministers, as well as the warm reception that Stephen Harper and his conservatives currently enjoy. The residue of past wrongdoings do not, in my opinion, excuse poor leadership. Recently, after the conservatives delivered their speech from the throne, Stephan Dion had a chance to show that he was a leader of principal and determination. Frustrated with their minority government the Conservatives took a gamble and tried to act as though the had in fact won the majority. In their eyes they stood to win either way. If Dion and Layton and the other party leaders stuck to their guns then the throne speech would not pass which would bring a swift non confidence vote and plunge this country into yet another federal election. Another election right now would probably go quite well for the Conservatives. So far they have played their cards pretty safely and managed not to ruffle too many feathers. It is a fact of Canadian voters that they do not vote for something, rather, they vote against it. Harper’s victory in the last election was not the result of increased love for his party and his platforms, but a reaction to the sponsorship scandal and a general feeling that the Liberals had over stayed their welcome as the government of Canada. So far Harper has not given any real cause to regret that decision.

Please don’t take this as any sort of endorsement of the conservative party, I only mean to point out that so far they are showing that they understand the nature of their voter support and are not trying to push any controversial issues like gay marriage, or abortion. That being said the throne speech included proclamations that would be a slap in the face to the other parties should they accept them. The environment for example, is one issue where Dion has made a lot of noise, going so far as to name his dog Kyoto. If the Liberals had endorsed the throne speech he would be telling the Canadian public that all his high ideals were just hot air rising. So what he did instead was refrain. No Liberal voted on the throne speech and it was allowed to pass. Was this a politically tactful move? Maybe. But maybe it was just plain cowardliness. In the spirit of American politics, the throne speech became like a throw down in the wild west. Harper had rounded up a posse and was calling Dion out. Rather than face him in the street, our hero snuck out the back door. Sure he and the other liberals chant the mantra that they will choose the time and place for the next election, but lets face it, that sort of rhetoric doesn’t sound all that convincing when its said with tail between legs.

I do not mean to suggest that I think the Liberals might have won the election, had one been called. They might have, sure. Who would have said David would beat Goliath? Was it likely that three hundred Spartans held Thermopylae against the Persians for as long as they did? While not impossible, a liberal victory at that time would have been very unlikely. That being said, the reason the party has fallen so far from their former days of grace, is because the brand is tarnished. There are too many negative connotations right now to allow them to bounce back. What is needed to revive the party is some action. Something to show that there is reformation in the ranks, and that the party is on the mend. Until we start seeing some sign of that regenisis the liberals will remain untouchable. If Dion had forced the issue; if he had stood his ground and clung to his principals, he might not have won back the government, but he might have at least shown that he had a backbone.

Then again, maybe Dion is just a scapegoat. Perhaps the Liberals understand how poorly positioned they are and, rather than sacrifice a real candidate like Ignatieff, they are fronting the Dr. Doolittle of the political scene. Spineless as he may be, at least Dion doesn’t seem dangerous.