A misplaced defence

While the NDP can fairly be criticized for its recent tendency to take aim at relatively small deficiencies among the Libs, surely the Greens are going much further toward the opposite extreme by declaring that Stephane Dion's record as environment minister is above reproach:

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is leaping to the defence of her newly elected counterpart from the federal Liberals, insisting she can work with Stephane Dion to challenge the policies of the Conservative government....

(S)aid May in an interview on Wednesday, "If they try to say (Dion) was anything other than a very strong environment minister, they're making it up."

That would be the same "very strong environment minister" whose Project Green was set to fall well short of Canada's Kyoto commitments while costing far more money than budgeted (see July 27 entry). But the Greens seem entirely focused on winning the Libs' praise, even if it means needlessly accepting failure on what's supposed to be their core issue. And that can only undercut their own credibility in the race to translate Canadians' concern for the environment into votes.