I’ve been sitting, drinking a coffee from Manotick’s Village Perk, and waiting for the barber-shop to open. It’s a good time to do a little reflection on what’s happening with the Gomery Inquiry.
Let’s not mince words. The picture being painted by the Brault testimony is of shady backroom dealings by mafiosa. The Liberal government of Paul Martin is trying to do the only thing it can, which is to paint themselves as victims also. Naturally, the opposition is having none of this. And Jean Chretien is trying to shut the whole thing down, claiming bias. It’s a mess, and it’s hard to see how the Liberals will be able to persuade the electorate that they should be trusted with power again anytime soon.
Even so, the opposition parties don’t seem to be prepared or able to capitalize on this opportunity. By all reports, the Conservatives are at least $10 million short of being financially able to fight an election. The electorate doesn’t want another election right now. And, because of the official publication ban, nobody can speak publicly of what they have seen or heard at the inquiry.
Despite the speculation you read in the papers, look for the government to fall in the autumn, after the official report of the Gomery Inquiry is out, and after the opposition parties have done some fundraising.
Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry make Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.
