Mr. Doer Suddenly Shy?

One thing NDP Premier Gary Doer has never been shy about is commenting on federal politics. He regularly steps up to any available microphone and gives his opinion on federal issues that he has no direct control over.

The federal debate on the future of the Canadian Wheat Board? Mr. Doer not only has an opinion about it, he introduced a resolution in the Manitoba Legislature to be debated despite the fact it is a decision that rests purely in the hands of the federal government.

The federal debate on the future of the Senate? Mr. Doer is quick to state his opinion whenever asked about what should happen to the federal Senate.

In fact from crime to finances, Manitoba’s NDP Premier has never been shy about voicing his opinion about what is happening in Ottawa. That is until now.

During the past two weeks while Manitobans watched and expressed their anger over the plan by the federal Liberal Party to join forces with the federal NDP and the separatist Bloc Quebecois (BQ), Mr. Doer refused to comment on how he felt about the attempted takeover of Canada’s government. Despite being the longest serving Premier in Canada and despite other Premiers expressing their concern, Mr. Doer remained silent.

For several days Mr. Doer was asked to comment on what he felt about the Liberals, the NDP and the BQ joining forces to try and take government just weeks after they had been rejected in a national federal election. While Mr. Doer admitted to having a telephone conversation with his good friend, federal NDP Leader Jack Layton, to offer advice on the takeover attempt, he would not tell reporters or the Manitoba Legislature about the nature of that conversation.

After years of taking every opportunity to comment on federal politics, Mr. Doer suddenly fell silent at the time when his voice was most important. He should have joined with other provincial leaders in Canada who expressed concern about the democratic decision of the Canadian people being overturned not by another election, but by the Liberals, NDP and the separatist BQ joining forces to take the power they could not achieve democratically.

This last Saturday hundreds of Manitobans were at the Manitoba Legislature demonstrating to reject the idea of a coalition wrestling power away without an election. Progressive Conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen was there as were several Manitoba Members of Parliament. Those at the rally were no doubt hoping their Premier would stand up and represent their democratic wishes in a province that overwhelmingly elected Conservative MP’s in the federal election just a few short weeks ago.

There was a microphone at the rally and a platform from which Premier Gary Doer could have expressed his views. He has rarely if ever turned down such an opportunity in the past to loudly voice his opinion on the state of federal politics.

Unfortunately for Manitobans, Mr. Doer had either suddenly grown shy or he knew his views about the attempted takeover of Canada’s government were out of step with the views of most Manitobans and Canadians.