Being a centrist party in opposition is tough – especially in the minority parliament that defines Ottawa. But now, having spent four years fighting their place in opposition, federal Liberals are showing signs of accepting their fate and exploiting its opportunities.
The past several years have shown the challenges of a big tent party in opposition. In a minority parliament, by design, some members of the party can support legislation that the government intends to pass. As successive Liberal leaders have learned however, it’s difficult for a party to oppose and support the government at the same time while maintaining your credibility as a government in waiting. Predictably, this makes the preliminary role of the opposition – to oppose – rather difficult when the next election can happen at a moment’s notice.
Things, evidently, have changed since the NDP started supporting the government.
No one’s talking about an election anytime soon in Ottawa and opposing the government is easier without the threat of a confidence vote. The story line has changed for the opposition. Now they’re more focused on holding the government to account than opposing the government’s carefully crafted legislative agenda.
This week has been a great example of why “governments defeat themselves” – with help from the opposition. Tarred with the daily shrapnel from the responsibility of government, the Conservatives have circled the wagons. Despite their best efforts at flooding the airwaves with press conferences to promote new legislation or funding, the governing party will wear inevitable mismanagement allegations like spilled red wine at a cocktail reception.
That’s the beauty of opposition. Opportunities to embarrass the government are sure to arise.
A second long-held route to opposition success, that the opposition must be a credible alternative to the government, is now also starting to take root with the Liberals. While stature, coherence and credibility are clearly important, it’s hard be seen as a governing party when policy positions are avoided like the plague. This too seems to be passing, if slowly.
Shedding their image as a probation officer and armed with a revamped leadership team the Liberals now seem ready to expand their policy dialogue. Recent speeches are slowly incorporating policy tidbits and the upcoming “thinkers conference” can’t help but shed some light on more points of differentiation.
Barring a significant change in tactics by either the NDP or the Conservatives, the next several months seem set to embrace a strengthened Conservative government and a strengthened Liberal opposition. While the government will continue profiting from the prestige of power and their well-honed discipline, the Liberals seem set to continue exploiting the baggage of responsibility while commencing the process to be perceived as a credible alternative – policy and all. For those who can see past the righteous indignation, the policy dialogue has begun.
