Compare and contrast

It hasn't escaped notice that the NDP has been able to push the Cons to improve their latest EI bill by setting a firm start date for eligibility for increased benefits. But the NDP's success in getting that done is particularly worth noting in contrast to what happened in a similar situation earlier this year.

After all, the Cons' 2009 budget bill likewise included a provision linking increased EI benefits to the timing of royal assent. And presumably the same solution would have been equally possible then. But Michael Ignatieff and the Libs ignored that possibility entirely, electing to rush a mammoth bill loaded with poison pills through the Senate in order to meet the Cons' arbitrary timeline for passage rather than even suggesting a simple legislative fix.

Of course, it's to the Cons' discredit that they chose to set up exactly the same kind of time trap with their newest EI bill. But this time, the NDP was in a position to spot the problem and pressure the Cons to fix it - and the end result should serve as important evidence as to which opposition party is actually working to improve legislative outcomes for Canadians.