Bring it on indeed

Steve V at Far and Wide wants to see the next federal election precipitated by another opposition motion to remove Rona Ambrose as environment minister. To which I can only say, it's about time for the Libs to get the message that Ambrose needs to go. But in case anybody needs a reminder why the last such motion failed:

Liberals on the Commons environment committee abstained from the vote to unseat Ambrose...

"We would rather leave Ms. Ambrose in place because she represents the total incompetence of the government,'' he said. "We would rather let that fruit ripen, if I may put it that way."

Godfrey also denied that the decision by the Liberals -- currently in the middle of a leadership race -- stems from fear over an early election. But he did admit to agreeing with the NDP's view that the minister is incompetent.

From this Dipper's standpoint, it's hard to imagine a better means of precipitating the next election. If a new motion regarding Ambrose is passed leading to the fall of the Cons, then the Libs will have to take full responsibility for Cons' fall session in power - after all, it was their previous failure to vote on precisely the same issue of removing an "incompetent" Ambrose (and government) from office which kept the Cons in charge for that time. And contrary to the blame the Libs so seem to enjoy trying to lay on the NDP, this one actually can be placed solely on the Libs' shoulders, since they alone among the opposition parties failed to vote for the motion.

Mind you, Godfrey also said in June that he didn't consider the committee to be an appropriate place for such a vote - meaning that there's no reason to think the Libs actually would support another similar motion now. And indeed the Cons could reverse their own course in the face of a successful motion and decline to consider it a matter of confidence. Which means that the chances of actually getting to an election this way are remote at best.

But if we're going to head into an election with the Libs and the NDP competing to be the progressive alternative to more of PMS, then I for one would have no problem with the Libs having to explain their past refusal to oppose Harper on the very issue which eventually brings down the government. And if the Libs are getting cocky enough not to see a problem with that, then so much the better.