The definition of insanity

It certainly can't speak well for the provinces' ability to reach a consensus on federal/provincial funding when not only has there been no apparent movement in previous positions, but they're trying to excuse their past inability to agree on anything by claiming they weren't really trying:

McGuinty said all 13 provinces and territories appear to have different positions but he remains optimistic they can find consensus.

Lord said he doubts that will happen next week at the Council of the Federation meeting in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"I'm hopeful and doubtful at the same time, in the sense that I'm hopeful we can arrive at a consensus, but I'm doubtful it can happen next week," said Lord.

Lord said their last meetings in Montreal and Edmonton were confrontational, but he feels confident everyone will seek common ground in St. John's, N.L.

It wouldn't seem too difficult to move toward a hybrid position which looks primarily at expanding the envelope of funding to the provinces, rather than arguing over whether to fund only equalization or program transfers to the exclusion of the other. But so far, the proposals moving in that direction seem to have fallen on deaf ears in Ontario and New Brunswick...and there's plenty of reason to think each of McGuinty and Lord is looking for the other to make the first move toward any compromise.

Needless to say, the only way a positive deal is going to come about is through concerted provincial pressure on the Cons - and surely most provinces want something better at the end of the day than another set of federal tax cuts coupled with a dare to raise taxes provincially. But as long as McGuinty and Lord are more concerned with posturing against their fellow premiers, there won't be any reason at all for optimism in St. John's or elsewhere.