Open to question

The Cons are unsurprisingly looking to put as many decisions as they can in partisan hands while they still can, following up the embarrassing selection of Tom Long to head-hunt for the CBC by appointing Jim Flaherty's chief of staff to try to minimize the effect of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. But in appointing McLaughlin, the Cons are opening themselves up to some serious questions about subjects which they'd rather see forgotten:

The Harper government is dismissing accusations of patronage after naming one of its top political advisers as the president of an independent advisory body on environmental and economic issues.

David McLaughlin is leaving his position as chief of staff to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to begin his new appointment today as president of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy...

The opposition parties said they plan to call McLaughlin before the Commons environment committee to answer questions about McLaughlin's relevant experience.

"It's supposed to be an arm's-length, advisory council reporting to the prime minister of Canada. The question now is whether Mr. McLaughlin will take his orders from the PMO (Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office)," McGuinty added...

NDP environment critic Nathan Cullen added that he'd have questions about McLaughlin's contributions to initiatives announced in the last two federal budgets for a tax credit for public transit passes and a fee-bate program to encourage the sale of efficient cars. Both initiatives generated controversy and mixed reviews from industry and lobby groups.

Not surprisingly, CanWest is far too generous in describing the unmitigated disaster that is the feebate program in particular. But with McLaughlin facing public questioning over his role in the Cons' record of waste, the opposition parties will have a golden opportunity to set the record straight.

Of course, the Cons presumably figure they'll be better off in the long run trying to cut down on the NRTEE's valid criticism of their government. But particularly in light of the hard-right messaging coming out of their summer caucus meeting, it's looking entirely possible that the Cons could face an election before McLaughlin has the chance to influence much of anything in his new assignment. And if the Cons end up bringing their failures to the forefront in the short term, the result could be to remove them from power for a long time to come.